Show ContentsPerrkyns History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The ancient Anglo-Saxon surname Perrkyns came from the baptismal name Peter. Baptismal names began to appear as surnames relatively late in the growth of the naming tradition. This is a little surprising, given the popularity of biblical figures in the Christian countries of Europe. Nevertheless, surnames derived from baptismal names grew in popularity during the Middle Ages, and have become one of the foremost sources for surnames. In this case the surname Perrkyns was originally derived from two elements; per a form of Peter and the suffix kin. The literal meaning of the surname is Little Peter, which denotes the son of Peter. 1

Early Origins of the Perrkyns family

The surname Perrkyns was first found in Leicestershire. The name is traditionally "confined mostly to the southern half of England, being most numerous in Warwickshire, Worcestershire, and South Wales. " 2

Early rolls listed the name in singular and plural forms: Edmund Perkyn 1327 in the Subsidy Rolls for Suffolk; Robert Parkyn 1327 in the Subsidy Rolls for Staffordshire; Walter Perkyns 1327 in the Subsidy Rolls for Worcester; and Maud Parkynes 1332 in the Subsidy Rolls for Warwickshire. 3

Early History of the Perrkyns family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Perrkyns research. Another 138 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1327, 1516, 1545, 1547, 1555, 1558, 1602, 1622, 1649, 1658, 1696 and 1707 are included under the topic Early Perrkyns History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Perrkyns Spelling Variations

Sound was what guided spelling in the essentially pre-literate Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Also, before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Therefore, spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Perrkyns family name include Perkins, Perkin, Perkyns, Perkens, Perkynn and others.

Early Notables of the Perrkyns family

Distinguished members of the family include John Perkins or Parkins (died 1545), an English jurist; he may have been the John Perkins who was a groom of the royal chamber in 1516. William Perkins (1558-1602) was English Puritan theologian and Sir Christopher Perkins or Parkins (1547-1622) was an English diplomatist, master of requests and dean of Carlisle. Another Christopher Perkins was elected scholar at Winchester...
Another 64 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Perrkyns Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Perrkyns family

For political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for Ireland, the Canadas, the America colonies, and many of smaller tropical colonies in the hope of finding better lives abroad. Although the passage on the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving, those families that survived the trip often went on to make valuable contributions to those new societies to which they arrived. Early immigrants bearing the Perrkyns surname or a spelling variation of the name include: Davey and Dinah, who Perkins settled in Virginia in 1651; John Perkins, who arrived in Boston in 1630; Robert Perkins, who came to Virginia in 1645; Thomas Perkins settled in 1642.



The Perrkyns Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Simplex vigilum veri
Motto Translation: An honest one of the sentinels of truth.


  1. Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
  2. Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
  3. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)


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