Show ContentsParnes History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Parnes surname, of Norman ancestry, was a name given to a small child. The surname springs from the middle English bairn, of the same meaning. 1 2

Early Origins of the Parnes family

The surname Parnes was first found in Surrey at Barnes, a parish, in the union of Richmond, W. division of the hundred of Brixton. 3 This parish was originally listed as Berne 4 in the Domesday Book of 1086.

According to the Saxon Chronicle, Siward Barn was the patriot rebel against William the Conqueror. 5 After that early listing, one of the first records of the name was found in Surrey as Philip de Bernes. 6

Other early records include: Henry de le Berne in Norfolk; Richard de la Berne in Kent; and William de la Berne in Dorset, all listed in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273. 1 William Bernes was listed in the Assize Rolls of Cheshire in 1380 and Joan Barnes was also listed in Cheshire in 1450. 6

Early Scottish sources revealed that the name was from "Barnes in the parish of Premnay, Aberdeenshire" 7 where the first record was found in the 15th century as Robert of Bernis, a goldsmith in 1465. 7

Early History of the Parnes family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Parnes research. Another 130 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1200, 1300, 1495, 1532, 1540, 1569, 1587, 1609, 1627, 1654, 1661, 1675, 1710, 1712 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Parnes History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Parnes Spelling Variations

Endless spelling variations are a prevailing characteristic of Norman surnames. Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules, and the introduction of Norman French added an unfamiliar ingredient to the English linguistic stew. French and Latin, the languages of the court, also influenced spellings. Finally, Medieval scribes generally spelled words according to how they sounded, so one person was often referred to by different spellings in different documents. The name has been spelled Barnes, Barns, Barnis, Bernys, Barness and others.

Early Notables of the Parnes family

Distinguished members of the family include Robert Barnes (1495-1540), English Protestant divine and martyr, a Norfolk man, born in the neighbourhood of Lynn. "Barnes and his two companions, as heretics, were committed to the flames." 8Richard Barnes (1532-1587), Bishop of Durham, born at Bould, near Warrington, in Lancashire, son of John Barnes and Agnes Saunderson, his wife.His son, Barnabe Barnes (1569?-1609), English poet, born in Yorkshire...
Another 66 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Parnes Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ireland Migration of the Parnes family to Ireland

Some of the Parnes family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 74 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Parnes migration to the United States +

To escape the political and religious persecution within England at the time, many English families left for the various British colonies abroad. The voyage was extremely difficult, though, and the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving. But for those who made it, the trip was most often worth it. Many of the families who arrived went on to make valuable contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families reveals a number of immigrants bearing the name Parnes or a variant listed above:

Parnes Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Fran Parnes, who landed in Maryland in 1657 9
  • Francis Parnes, who arrived in Maryland in 1657 9
Parnes Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Mr. P. Parnes, (b. 1781), aged 60, Cornish settler departing from Falmouth aboard the ship "Cornwall" arriving in the United States on 3 June 1841 10
  • Miss M. Parnes, (b. 1781), aged 60, Cornish settler departing from Falmouth aboard the ship "Cornwall" arriving in the United States on 3 June 1841 10
  • Miss A. Parnes, (b. 1821), aged 20, Cornish settler departing from Falmouth aboard the ship "Cornwall" arriving in the United States on 3 June 1841 10
  • Benzian Parnes, aged 21, who immigrated to the United States, in 1892
  • David Parnes, aged 18, who immigrated to the United States from London, in 1899
Parnes Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Chana Feige Parnes, aged 11, who settled in America, in 1900
  • Feige Parnes, aged 11, who settled in America, in 1906
  • Brane Parnes, aged 40, who landed in America, in 1906
  • David Parnes, aged 2, who landed in America, in 1907

Contemporary Notables of the name Parnes (post 1700) +

  • Dr Sidney "Sid" Parnes, American retired professor at Buffalo State College
  • Laura Parnes, American video artist
  • Joseph Parnes (b. 1946), American money manager
  • Anthony Keith Parnes, English millionaire stockbroker
  • Laurence Maurice "Larry" Parnes (1930-1989), English pop manager and impresario
  • Joan Parnes Suall, American politician, Delegate to Socialist National Convention from Young People's Socialist League, 1960 11


  1. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  2. Hanks, Patricia and Flavia Hodges, A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988. Print. (ISBN 0-19-211592-8)
  3. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  4. Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
  5. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  6. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  7. Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
  8. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
  9. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  10. Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 2018, April 30). Emigrants to New York 1820 - 1891 [PDF]. Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_new_york_1820_1891.pdf
  11. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, February 1) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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