PARKES
Parkes is a surname of English origin, reflecting a historical connection with enclosed fields or parks. The name is derived from the Middle English word parkes, which itself comes from the French parc introduced into England and Scotland following the Norman‑French invasion of 1066.
The original sense of park during the Middle Ages denoted a privately owned, fenced hunting ground set aside for the use of royalty and nobility. Those who worked within such parks or who lived adjacent to them acquired the occupational surname Parkes. A park‑keeper was a position of considerable responsibility, entrusted with the maintenance of the enclosure and with powers of arrest for any unauthorised entry.
Early documentary evidence of the surname appears in the 13th and 14th centuries. In 1272 the Assize Court rolls of Staffordshire record Henry del Parck; in 1285 the name Iselota atte Park is recorded in Kent, and in 1304 a Henry del Parks is noted in Worcestershire. By the early 17th century, a Thomas Parkes is listed as living in Virginea on 24 February 1624, making him one of the earliest settlers of the New England colonies.
Within the United Kingdom, the surname is most common in the Midlands and North West, with significant concentrations in Shropshire, Staffordshire, Cheshire and Lancashire. It is also found in London and Scotland. In Ireland, Parkes is largely concentrated in Ulster, particularly the counties of Antrim, Down and Londonderry, as well as along the east and west coasts. In the United States the name appears most frequently in New York, California, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Texas, and according to the U.S. Census it is overwhelmingly borne by White Americans.
The spelling of the surname has varied considerably. Common variants include Parks, Parke and Park. Other related forms, some derived directly from the Old French parc, are Parkhouse, Parkyns, Parkman, Parkin and Parkere. Some distant variants such as Sergeant and Sergent can also be traced back to the same root.
Notable individuals bearing the surname include the Scottish explorer Mungo Park (1771–1806), who led expeditions to the Niger and published his accounts in 1799, and the early colonial settler Thomas Parkes of Virginea. These figures illustrate the geographical spread and historical significance of the name.
Typical given names associated with the Parkes surname
Male
- Andrew
- Christopher
- David
- James
- John
- Matthew
- Michael
- Richard
- Robert
- Stephen
Female
- Alison
- Christine
- Elizabeth
- Emma
- Jean
- Laura
- Margaret
- Mary
- Pamela
- Patricia
- Sarah
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
- Parc
- Parekh
- Pares
- Paress
- Park
- Parkas
- Parke
- Parken
- Parkens
- Parker
- Parkers
- Parkeson
- Parkey
- Parki
- Parkie
- Parkis
- Parkiss
- Parks
- Parkus
- Parky
- Parres
- Pauk
- Pauks
- Peares
- Peark
- Pearkes
- Pearks
- Perk
- Perkas
- Perke
- Perkes
- Perkess
- Perkis
- Perks
- Pirk
- Pirke
- Pirkis
- Pirks
- Pork
- Porke
- Porkess
- Porks
- Purk
- Purke
- Purkes
- Purkess
- Purkis
- Purks
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Parkes in...
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Did you know?
According to a survey carried out by Democracy Club, politicians and candidates with the surname Parkes are most likely to say that their favourite biscuit is a Fox's Oatie.
There are approximately 16,103 people named Parkes in the UK. That makes it the 547th most common surname in Britain. Around 247 in a million people in Britain are named Parkes.
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Parkes
- Shaun Parkes - Actor
- Rupert Parkes - Composer and record producer
- Henry Parkes - Australian Statesman and Politician (1815 to 1896)
- Alexander Parkes - Metallurgist and inventor of the early plastic Parkesine (1813 to 1890)
- Phil Parkes - Football player
- Mike Parkes - Racing driver (1931 to 1977)
- Jordan Parkes - Football player
- Tony Parkes - Football player and manager
- Tom Parkes - Football player
- Phil Parkes - Football player
- Nii Parkes - Writer
- Terence "Larry" Parkes - Cartoonist (1927 to 2003)
- Edward Parkes - Academic
- David Parkes - Football player, played in The Football League during the 1910s and 1920s (1892 to 1975)
- Alan Parkes - Football player (1929 to 1)
- Arthur Parkes - Football player
- Malcolm Parkes - Paleographer, professor (1930 to 2013)
- Harry Parkes - Football player (1920 to 2009)
- Oscar Parkes - Marine artist and naval historian (1885 to 1958)
- Fanny Parkes - Travel writer on India (1794 to 1875)
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.