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Parrott History Etymology Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Ireland United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Motto Citations

Parrott History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Etymology of Parrott

What does the name Parrott mean?

Parrott is a name that came to England in the 11th century wave of migration that was set off by the Norman Conquest of 1066. Parrott comes from the name Peter. This name was a baptismal name that was originally derived from the French name Pierre and was a diminutive of the name Parrot, which means little Peter.

Interestingly, the English word "parrot," for the talking bird, was not in use until the 16th century, much later than this word's use as a surname.

Another source claims the name was originally "De Perrott from Castel Perrott, which he built in Armorica (Brittany), and the town of Perrott, one league from it. He came over to England in 957, and obtained some lands in Wessex, on a river which changed its name to the Perrot (now corrupted to the Parret), in Somersetshire." 1

Early Origins of the Parrott family

The surname Parrott was first found in Pembrokeshire where they were granted the lands of Ystington, Haroldston, and Carew Castle in that shire by King William for their assistance at the Battle of Hastings in 1066 A.D. 2 Sir Stephen Perrott married Helen, the daughter of Marchion Ap Rice, Prince of South Wales at the beginning of the 12th century. "The valour and magnanimity of Sir Stephen gained him the respect and love of the Princess Ellyn's people. Their son, Sir Andrew, claimed the kingdom of Wales, in right of his mother, and collected a body of forces in assertion of his right, but the King of England marched a numerous army into the country to take advantage of the disorders; the knowledge of which and a sum of money offered by the English king, through the Bishop of St. David's, brought him to declare for that prince, who knighted him, on his doing homage for the land for twenty miles round Sir William's camp, whereon he built the Castle of Narbeth, whose ruins are extant in Pembroke." 1

Thorp Perrot Hall is a large 18th-century country house standing in an estate on the northern edge of Snape village. North Perrot(t) is a parish, in the union of Yeovil, hundred of Houndsborough, Berwick, and Coker, W. division of Somerset and South Perrot(t) is a parish, in the union of Beaminster, hundred of Beaminster-Forum, and Redhone, Bridport division of Dorset. 3

"The name of Parrott, probably a form of Perrett or Perrott, a common Somersetshire name, is better represented in Buckinghamshire, and is referred to also under that county. There was a gentle family of Parratt in the parish of Enstone [Oxfordshire] during the reign of Elizabeth." 4

Early feudal rolls provided the king of the time a method of cataloguing holdings for taxation, but today they provide a glimpse into the wide surname spellings in use at that time. Ralph Perot was listed in Essex in 1235 and later in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 in Bedfordshire. William Poret was found in the Subsidy Rolls for Yorkshire in 1301; and John Parrat was in early London records in 1344. 5

Early History of the Parrott family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Parrott research. Another 98 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1528, 1550, 1571, 1579, 1583, 1588, 1592, 1597, 1601, 1604, 1608, 1611, 1617, 1622, 1626, 1629, 1636, 1659, 1671, 1677, 1679 and 1683 are included under the topic Early Parrott History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Parrott Spelling Variations

Before the last few hundred years the English language had no fixed system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations occurred commonly in Anglo Norman surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Parrott were recorded, including Perrot, Parrott, Parrot, Perrott, Perot, Perott, Perrett and many more.

Early Notables of the Parrott family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Rober Perrot (died 1550), English organist of Magdalen College, Oxford, second son of George Perrot of Harroldston, Pembrokeshire; Sir James Perrot (1571-1636), a Welsh writer and politician, Member of Parliament for Haverfordwest in 1597, (1604-1622) and (1626-1629), Custos Rotulorum of Pembrokeshire...
Another 49 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Parrott Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Parrott Ranking

In the United States, the name Parrott is the 2,434^th most popular surname with an estimated 12,435 people with that name. 6 However, in Newfoundland, Canada, the name Parrott is ranked the 367^th most popular surname with an estimated 126 people with that name. 7

Migration of the Parrott family to Ireland

Some of the Parrott family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 104 words (7 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Parrott migration to the United States +

The unstable environment in England at this time caused numerous families to board ships and leave in search of opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad in places like Ireland, Australia, and particularly the New World. The voyage was extremely difficult, however, and only taken at great expense. The cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels caused many to arrive diseased and starving, not to mention destitute from the enormous cost. Still opportunity in the emerging nations of Canada and the United States was far greater than at home and many went on to make important contributions to the cultures of their adopted countries. An examination of many early immigration records reveals that people bearing the name Parrott arrived in North America very early:

Parrott Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Richard Parrott, who arrived in Virginia in 1649 8
Mary Parrott, who landed in Virginia in 1658 8
Thomas Parrott, who landed in Maryland in 1658 8
Francis Parrott, who landed in Maryland in 1662 8
Lawrence Parrott, who arrived in Maryland in 1662 8
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Parrott Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Frans Ludwig Parrott, aged 39, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1738 8
Benjamin Parrott, aged 32, who landed in Virginia in 1773 8

Parrott Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

John Parrott, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1851 8

Parrott migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Parrott Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Lieut. James Parrott U.E. who settled in Ernest Town [Ernestown], Lennox & Addington, Ontario c. 1786 he served in the Loyal Rangers 9

Parrott migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Parrott Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Thomas Parrott who was convicted in London, England for life, transported aboard the "Dick" on 2nd October 1820, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 10
Mr. William Fear Parrott, (b. 1787), aged 45, English clerk who was convicted in London, England for life for attempted murder, transported aboard the "England"on 31st March 1832, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 11
Mr. George Parrott, English convict who was convicted in West Riding, Yorkshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Barossa" on 8th December 1839, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 12
Mr. Jacob Parrott, English convict who was convicted in Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England for 10 years, transported aboard the "Bangalore" on 1st January 1850, arriving in Moreton Bay, Queensland, Australia 13
Thomas Parrott, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Tory" in 1851 14

Parrott migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Parrott Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Catherine Parrott, aged 40, a nurse, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Wairoa" in 1877

Contemporary Notables of the name Parrott (post 1700) +

Ursula Parrott (1899-1957), née Towle, American prolific modern novelist, screenwriter, and short story writer whose sensational first novel, Ex-Wife (1929), was a Jazz Age best seller and inspiration for the film The Divorcee, she later sold the rights to eight other novels and stories that were made into films
Joanne Parrott, American politician, Delegate Maryland District 35A (1999-2007)
Walter Edward "Jiggs" Parrott (1871-1898), American Major League Baseball player who played from 1892 to 1895 for the Chicago Colts
James Gibbons Parrott (1897-1939), American actor and film director, the younger brother of Charley Chase
Charles Joseph Parrott (1893-1940), birth name of Charley Chase, American comedian, actor, screenwriter and film director, best known for his work in Hal Roach shorts
George Parrott (b. 1881), nicknamed Big Nose George, Big beak Parrott, George Manuse and George Warden, American cattle rustler and highwayman in the American Wild West; he was executed by a lynch mob
John F. Parrott (1767-1836), American Senator from New Hampshire (1816-1825)
Jacob Wilson Parrott (1843-1908), American Union Army soldier, the first winner of the Medal of Honor for his military service in the American Civil War
George Fountain Parrott (1887-1918), American WWI naval officer, eponym of the USS Parrott (DD-218), a Clemson-class destroyer
Enoch Greenleafe Parrott (1814-1879), American naval officer, Rear Admiral, Commander, Asiatic Squadron (1873-1874)
... (Another 11 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

The Parrott 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: Amo ut invenio
Motto Translation: I love as I find

Citations +

Burke, John Bernard, The Roll of Battle Abbey. London: Edward Churton, 26, Holles Street, 1848, Print.
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
The order of Common Surnames in 1955 in Newfoundland retrieved on 20th October 2021 (retrieved from Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland by E.R. Seary corrected edition ISBN 0-7735-1782-0)
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)
Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 8th July 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/Dick
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 26th April 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/england
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 24th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/barossa
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 11th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/australasia
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) TORY 1851. Retrieved http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1851Tory.htm