Perfit History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Perfit

What does the name Perfit mean?

The name Perfit was brought to England in the wave of migration that followed the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Perfit 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 Perfit family

The surname Perfit 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 Perfit family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Perfit 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 Perfit History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Perfit Spelling Variations

Spelling variations in names were a common occurrence in the eras before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate regularly changed the spellings of their names as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Perfit have been found, including Perfect, Perfett, Perfitt, Parfitt, Parfect and others.

Early Notables of the Perfit 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 Perfit Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Perfit family

For many English families, the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. For such families, the shores of Ireland, Australia, and the New World beckoned. They left their homeland at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. Many arrived after the long voyage sick, starving, and without a penny. But even those were greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. Numerous English settlers who arrived in the United States and Canada at this time went on to make important contributions to the developing cultures of those countries. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Perfit were among those contributors: 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)