Parfact History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Parfact

What does the name Parfact mean?

Parfact is one of the names that was brought to England in the wave of migration following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Parfact family lived in Parfitt (Parfait) in Normandy. Roger Perfectus or Parfait was listed there (1185-95) in the Mangn. Rotul. Scaccarii Normanniae. 1

The name was derived from Middle English "parfit" meaning "fully trained, well versed." The Old French version of the name was parfit(e) which meant "completed," from the Latin "perfectus", "to finish or accomplish." 2 "Parfit(i) and Parfett are the most common forms today. Perfect is fairly frequent but is late and due to the influence of the reconstructed, learned spelling of the adjective." 3

Alternatively the name could have been a nickname, probably originally denoting an apprentice who had completed his period of training.

Early Origins of the Parfact family

The surname Parfact was first found in Hampshire where Vnfridus parfait was recorded at Winton in 1115. A few years later, Richard Parfeit, Parfet was found in the Curia Regis Rolls for Somerset in 1196 and later again, William Perfyt was listed in Herefordshire in 1383. 3

Other early records include Robert Parfyte who was listed in the Calendarium Inquisitionum Post Mortem and Robert Parfite was listed in the Rolls of Parliament. 4

They acquired the lands of Bruton (anciently spelt Braueton) in Somerset which was the King's land even at the time of King Edward the Confessor in 1050. At the time of the taking of the Domesday Book Bruton was a wealthy village containing six mills.

Early History of the Parfact family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Parfact research. Another 164 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1620, 1717, 1780, 1800, 1820, 1836, 1848, 1850, 1859, 1861, 1875 and 1893 are included under the topic Early Parfact History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Parfact Spelling Variations

Before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Sound was what guided spelling in the Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Parfact family name include Perfect, Perfett, Perfitt, Parfitt, Parfect and others.

Early Notables of the Parfact family

Edward Parfitt (1820-1893), English naturalist, born at East Tuddenham, Norfolk, on 17 Oct. 1820, son of Edward Parfitt (1800-1875) by his wife, Violet Howlet (1800-1836). The father was head gardener to Lord Hastings. Parfitt was educated at East Tuddenham and Honingham, and studied gardening under his father; he then became successively gardener to Anthony Gwyn of Sennow Lodge, Norfolk, and John Hay Hill, Gressinghall House, near East Dereham, and subsequently went on a voyage for scientific purposes. He was wrecked near the Cape of Good Hope, and an enforced stay in the colony intensified his...
Another 95 words (7 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Parfact Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Parfact family

To escape the political and religious chaos of this era, thousands of English families began to migrate to the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. The passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe; however, those who made the voyage safely were encountered opportunities that were not available to them in their homeland. Many of the families that reached the New World at this time went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of the United States and Canada. Research into various historical records has revealed some of first members of the Parfact family to immigrate North America: Robert Perfect who settled in Virginia with his wife in 1650; Jno Parfitt, who came to Virginia in 1664; Augustine Parfitt, who came to Barbados in 1679.

Sources +

The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)