What We Know About the Parson Surname

Before spelling settled in the modern era, so Parsons could easily become Parson. The name is usually explained as “Son or servant of the parson”. Without the “s” of Parsons, Parson is a simpler written form of the same name. You may also find the name written Person.

The Census Bureau's 2010 surname file lists Parson with 13,209 bearers, at rank 2,727. It sits among the 5,000 most common last names in the country. Names that sound alike, such as Pearson, Pierson and Peirson, are easily confused in old records.

Arms linked to Parsons and its spellings were granted to individual families; our heraldry team traces which line they belonged to. Want more than a summary? See the Parson family name pack.