Show ContentsPersons History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Persons family name dates back to the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. The name comes from when an early member worked as a person who worked as the parson or clergyman. This individual probably lived or worked at the parsonage. [1]

Early Origins of the Persons family

The surname Persons was first found in Norfolk where Clemens filius Persone was listed in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273. [2] Over in Somerset, William Parson and Isabel Parsones were both listed in Kirby's Quest as living 1 Edward III (in the first year of Edward III's reign.) [3]

Roger le Persones was listed in the Assize Rolls of Staffordshire in 1323 and Alicia le Parsones was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcester in 1327. [1]

"A striking example of a purely south of England name, not to be found in my list north of a line drawn west from The Wash. It is represented in most of the southern counties, but its great home is in Wilts, whilst it is also numerous in most of the counties around this centre, namely, in Somerset, Dorset, Hants, Oxfordshire, and Monmouthshire." [4] True to the quote, only one entry was found in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379: Johannes Parsonson. [2]

Early History of the Persons family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Persons research. Another 61 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1704 and 1731 are included under the topic Early Persons History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Persons Spelling Variations

Persons has been spelled many different ways. Before English spelling became standardized over the last few hundred years, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. As the English language changed in the Middle Ages, absorbing pieces of Latin and French, as well as other languages, the spelling of people's names also changed considerably, even over a single lifetime. Many variations of the name Persons have been found, including Parsons, Parson and others.

Early Notables of the Persons family

More information is included under the topic Early Persons Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Persons Ranking

In the United States, the name Persons is the 8,176th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. [5]

Ireland Migration of the Persons family to Ireland

Some of the Persons family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 44 words (3 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Persons migration to the United States +

In an attempt to escape the chaos experienced in England, many English families boarded overcrowded and diseased ships sailing for the shores of North America and other British colonies. Those families hardy enough, and lucky enough, to make the passage intact were rewarded with land and a social environment less prone to religious and political persecution. Many of these families became important contributors to the young colonies in which they settled. Early immigration and passenger lists have documented some of the first Personss to arrive on North American shores:

Persons Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Henry Persons, who landed in Virginia in 1619 [6]
  • Rich Persons, aged 30, who arrived in New England in 1635 from Weymouth, England possible boat is Mary Gould [6]
  • Joane Persons, who arrived in Virginia in 1650 [6]
  • Jeremy Persons, who landed in Virginia in 1664 [6]
  • James Persons, who arrived in Maryland in 1671 [6]
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Persons Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • John Jacob Persons, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1741 [6]
  • Gerard Persons, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1795 [6]

West Indies Persons migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. [7]
Persons Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century
  • Elizabeth Persons, who was aboard the ship "Sea Venture" who wrecked in Bermudas in 1609, may have stayed and not traveled on to Virginia [6]

Contemporary Notables of the name Persons (post 1700) +

  • Major-General Wilton Burton Persons (1896-1977), American Chief of Legislative & Liason Division, Department of the Army (1947-1948) [8]
  • Shirley Persons Pigott, American Republican politician, Candidate for Texas State Board of Education 2nd District, 1998 [9]


  1. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  2. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  3. Dickinson, F.H., Kirby's Quest for Somerset of 16th of Edward the 3rd London: Harrison and Sons, Printers in Ordinary to Her Majesty, St, Martin's Lane, 1889. Print.
  4. Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
  5. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  6. 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)
  7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
  8. Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2014, March 26) Wilton Persons. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/Persons/Wilton_Burton/USA.html
  9. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 4) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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