Pirkis History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Pirkis

What does the name Pirkis mean?

Pirkis is a name that first reached England following the Norman Conquest in 1066. It is a name for a messenger or herald. Pirkis is a classic example of an English polygenetic surname, which is a surname that was developed in a number of different locations and adopted by various families independently.

Early Origins of the Pirkis family

The surname Pirkis was first found in Kent where they held a family seat from very early times, descended from a Norman noble "Perahgoz" meaning "bear-Goth"and were granted lands in Kent by Duke William of Normandy, their liege Lord, for their distinguished assistance at the Battle of Hastings in 1066 A.D.

Early History of the Pirkis family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Pirkis research. Another 234 words (17 lines of text) covering the years 1100, 1190, 1497, 1498, 1575, 1626 and 1658 are included under the topic Early Pirkis History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Pirkis Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names tend to be marked by an enormous number of spelling variations. This is largely due to the fact that Old and Middle English lacked any spelling rules when Norman French was introduced in the 11th century. The languages of the English courts at that time were French and Latin. These various languages mixed quite freely in the evolving social milieu. The final element of this mix is that medieval scribes spelled words according to their sounds rather than any definite rules, so a name was often spelled in as many different ways as the number of documents it appeared in. The name was spelled Purchase, Purchas, Purchass, Purches, Purchis, Purkiss, Purkess, Purkis, Purkeys, Purkys, Purkes and many more.

Early Notables of the Pirkis family

Sir William Purchas, Lord Mayor of London (1497 to 1498); and Samuel Purchas (1575?-1626), was an English cleric and travel writer. His "Purchas his Pilgrimage" was one of the sources of inspiration for the...
Another 33 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Pirkis Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Pirkis family

Because of the political and religious discontent in England, families began to migrate abroad in enormous numbers. Faced with persecution and starvation at home, the open frontiers and generally less oppressive social environment of the New World seemed tantalizing indeed to many English people. The trip was difficult, and not all made it unscathed, but many of those who did get to Canada and the United States made important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers with Pirkis name or one of its variants: Aquila Purchase settled in Boston in 1633; with his wife Anne; Henry Purchase settled in Virginia in 1652; Thomas Purchase settled in Salem in 1630 with his wife Sarah.

Contemporary Notables of the name Pirkis (post 1700) +

George Pirkis Kidd (1917-2004), Scottish-born, first Canadian Ambassador to Israel in 1954 and later Ambassador to Cuba in 1962

The Pirkis 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: Semper paratus
Motto Translation: Always prepared.