Perkins is a surname derived from the

Anglo-Saxon The Anglo-Saxons were a Cultural identity, cultural group who inhabited England in the Early Middle Ages. They traced their origins to settlers who came to Britain from mainland Europe in the 5th century. However, the ethnogenesis of the Anglo- ...

corruption of the kin of

Pierre Pierre is a masculine given name. It is a French form of the name Peter. Pierre originally meant "rock" or "stone" in French (derived from the Greek word πέτρος (''petros'') meaning "stone, rock", via Latin "petra"). It is a translation ...

(from Pierre kin to Pierrekin to Perkins), introduced into England by the Norman Conquest. It is found throughout mid- and southern England. Another derivation comes from the Welsh Perthyn, relative or belonging to a particular person or family, and also thought to be the Anglicized form of

Peredur Peredur (, Old Welsh ''Peretur'') is the name of a number of men from the boundaries of history and legend in sub-Roman Britain. The Peredur who is most familiar to a modern audience is the character who made his entrance as a knight in the Art ...

, from medieval Welsh.

Notable people with the surname

* Al Perkins, American guitarist * Annie Stevens Perkins (1868–1911), American writer * Anthony Perkins (1932–1992), American actor * Benjamin Douglas Perkins (1774–1810), American, son of Elisha Perkins, bookseller and propagandist of therapy with "Perkins tractors" * Bill Perkins (disambiguation), several people * Bishop Perkins (1787–1866), member of New York State Assembly, later congressional Representative from New York * Bishop W. Perkins (1841–1894), U.S. Representative and Senator from Kansas * Brian Perkins, New Zealander anchor and newsreader on BBC Radio 4 *

Bryce Perkins Bryce Perkins (born December 20, 1996) is an American football quarterback for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Arizona State, Arizona Western, and Virginia before signing with the Los A ...

(born 1996), American football player * Broderick Perkins (born 1954), American baseball player *

Carl Perkins Carl Lee Perkins (April 9, 1932 – January 19, 1998)#nytimesobit, Pareles. was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. A rockabilly great and pioneer of rock and roll, he began his recording career at the Sun Studio, in Memphis, Tennes ...

(1932–1998), American singer-songwriter * Carl Christopher Perkins, politician, Kentucky Representative *

Carl Dewey Perkins Carl Dewey Perkins (October 15, 1912 – August 3, 1984), a Democrat, was an American politician and member of the United States House of Representatives from the state of Kentucky serving from 1949 until his death from a heart attack in Lexing ...

(1912–1984), politician, Kentucky Representative *

Charles A. Perkins Charles Albert Perkins (January 26, 1869 – January 16, 1930) was an American lawyer and reformer who was New York County District Attorney in 1915. While with the District Attorney's office, Perkins prosecuted many of the city's gang leaders, l ...

, American lawyer *

Charles Callahan Perkins Charles Callahan Perkins (March 1, 1823 – August 25, 1886) was an art critic, author, organizer of cultural activities, and an influential friend of design and of music in Boston. Biography Charles C. Perkins was born in Boston on March 1, 182 ...

(1823–1886), American art critic and author *

Charles L. Perkins Charles L. Perkins is the Founder and Chief Scientist of Virtual Rendezvous. He co-wrote a popular book on Java in October, 199 and created some (now historical) Java class hierarchy diagram An edited except of "The Big Picture" section (thru "The ...

, technology author *

Charles N. Perkins Charles Nelson Perkins , usually known as Charlie Perkins (16 June 1936 – 19 October 2000), was an Aboriginal Australian activist, soccer player and administrator. He was the first Indigenous Australian man to graduate tertiary education, an ...

, Australian football and political figure *

Charles S. Perkins Charles Sullivan Perkins (September 9, 1905 – May 25, 1988), nicknamed "Lefty", was a pitcher in Major League Baseball. He pitched for the 1930 Philadelphia Athletics and the 1934 Brooklyn Dodgers. He attended Williams College. His remains wer ...

, American baseball player * Charlotte Perkins Gilman (1860–1935), American sociologist, writer and feminist * Cyril Perkins (1911–2013), English cricketer and centenarian * Darius Perkins (1964–2019), Australian actor * Daryl Perkins, Australian track cyclist *

Don Perkins Donald Anthony Perkins (March 4, 1938 – June 9, 2022) was an American professional football player who was a fullback in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys. He played college football at the University of New Mexico ...

, National Football League running back for the Dallas Cowboys * Doron Perkins, American professional basketball player, 2009 Israeli Basketball Premier League MVP *

Edward J. Perkins Edward Joseph Perkins (June 8, 1928 – November 7, 2020) was an American career diplomat who served as U.S. Ambassador to Liberia, South Africa, the United Nations, and Australia. He also served as the director of the United States State Depart ...

, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations *

Edwin Perkins (disambiguation) Edwin Perkins may refer to: * Edwin Perkins (inventor) (1889–1961), American inventor of the Kool-Aid powder drink mix * Edwin Perkins (politician) (1855–1937), British Conservative Party politician * Ed Perkins Edwin Arend Perkins, (bor ...

, several people *

Elisha Perkins Elisha Perkins (January 16, 1741September 6, 1799) was a United States physician who created a fraudulent medical device, the Perkins Patent Tractors. Although they were made of steel and brass, Perkins claimed that they were made of unusual meta ...

(1741–1799), American physician * Elizabeth Perkins, American actress * Emily Perkins, Canadian actress *

Emily Perkins (novelist) Emily Justine Perkins (born 1970 in Christchurch) is a New Zealand author. Early life Perkins was born in Christchurch. She graduated from Toi Whakaari with a Diploma in Acting in 1989. She also studied writing at Victoria University of Wellin ...

, New Zealand author * Emily Pitkin Perkins, wife of Connecticut Governor and US Senator Roger Sherman Baldwin * Flo Perkins, American glass artist *

Frances Perkins Frances Perkins (born Fannie Coralie Perkins; April 10, 1880 – May 14, 1965) was an American workers-rights advocate who served as the 4th United States secretary of labor from 1933 to 1945, the longest serving in that position. A member of th ...

(1880–1965), American workers-rights advocate and U.S. Secretary of Labor *

Frank Perkins (disambiguation) Frank Perkins may refer to: * Frank Perkins (engineer) (1889–1967), British engineer, businessman and founder of Perkins Engines Company Limited * Frank Perkins (composer) Frank S. Perkins (April 21, 1908 in Salem, Massachusetts – March 15, 19 ...

, several people *

Frederic Beecher Perkins Frederic Beecher Perkins (27 September 1828 – 27 January 1899) was an American editor, writer, and librarian. He was a member of the Beecher family, a prominent 19th-century American religious family. Early life Frederic Beecher Perkins was b ...

(1828–1899), American editor, librarian and writer * Geoffrey Perkins (1953–2008), British comedy producer, writer, and performer *

George Perkins (disambiguation) George Perkins may refer to: Politicians *George C. Perkins (1839–1923), U.S. Republican politician and governor of California *George B. Perkins (1874–1955), American politician and businessman *George D. Perkins (1840–1914), U.S. Representa ...

, several people * Gil Perkins, Australian film and television actor * Henry Perkins (cricketer) (1832–1916), English cricketer and cricket administrator *

Henry Farnham Perkins Henry Farnham Perkins (1877–1956) was an American zoologist and eugenicist. Biography Early life and ancestry He was born at 205 South Prospect Street in Burlington, Chittenden County, Vermont in the house where he spent his entire life in the ...

(1877–1956), American zoologist and eugenicist *

Ian Perkins The Horrible Crowes is a musical duo consisting of vocalist and guitarist Brian Fallon and guitarist Ian Perkins. Fallon is also the front man in The Gaslight Anthem, a band he formed in 2006. Their debut album and only full-length studio release ...

, American musician/guitarist now in the band The Horrible Crowes * Isabel Weld Perkins (1876–1948), American socialite and philanthropist * Jack Perkins (disambiguation), several people * Jacob Perkins (1766–1849), American engineer and inventor: bank-note engraving, engravings transfer, bathometer, pleometer *

Jacqueline Perkins Jacqueline Perkins (born 29 August 1965) is an Australian long-distance runner. She competed in the women's 3000 metres and the women's 10,000 metres at the 1988 Summer Olympics The 1988 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Gam ...

(born 1965), Australian long-distance runner *

Jacqueline Perkins (diplomat) Jacqueline "Jacky" Perkins is a British diplomat who has been the List of Ambassadors from the United Kingdom to Belarus, British Ambassador to Belarus since 2019. Previous to that, she was the deputy head of mission in Kuwait. Consular career ...

, British diplomat and ambassador *

James Perkins (disambiguation) James Perkins may refer to: * James Perkins Jr. (born 1952/53), current mayor of Selma, Alabama * James Alfred Perkins (1911–1998), political scientist and president of Cornell University * James Ashbrook Perkins, professor of literature at Westm ...

, several people *

Janet Russell Perkins Janet Russell Perkins (March 20, 1853 – 1933) was an American-born botanist. Perkins authored 191 land plant species names, the tenth-highest number of such names authored by any female scientist. Born in Lafayette, Indiana, Janet was the daug ...

(1853–1933), American botanist * Jason Perkins (born 1992), Filipino-Canadian basketball player *

John Perkins (disambiguation) John Perkins may refer to: *John Perkins (Australian politician) (1878–1954), Australian politician *John Perkins (author) (born 1945), American author of ''Confessions of an Economic Hit Man'' *John Perkins (rugby union) (born 1954), Wales intern ...

, several people * Josh Perkins (born 1995), American basketball player in the

Israeli Basketball Premier League Ligat HaAl ( he, ליגת העל, lit., ''Supreme League or Premier League''), or the Israeli Basketball Premier League, is the top-tier level league of professional sports, professional competition in Israeli sports club, club basketball, making ...

* Kathleen Rose Perkins (born 1974), American actress * Kendrick Perkins (born 1984), American basketball player *

Kieren Perkins Kieren John Perkins, OAM (born 14 August 1973) is a former Australian freestyle swimmer. He specialised in the 1500-metre freestyle and won successive Olympic gold medals in this event in the 1990s. He won his first at the 1992 Olympics whic ...

, Australian Olympic gold medal swimmer * Larry Perkins, Australian Formula One race car driver * Laurence Perkins, British classical bassoonist *

Loftus Perkins Loftus Perkins (8 May 1834 – 27 April 1891) was an English engineer, particularly involved in developing the practical technologies of central heating and refrigeration. Life He was born in London, the son of Angier March Perkins and was likel ...

, (1834–1891), English engineer * Luther Perkins, (1928–1968), American guitarist, backing guitarist for Johnny Cash * Marlin Perkins, American ecologist and naturalist * Maxwell Perkins, American editor for F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, Thomas Wolfe *

Michael J. Perkins Private First Class Michael J. Perkins (1899 – October 28, 1918) was a soldier in the United States Army who received the Medal of Honor posthumously for his actions during World War I. Biography Perkins was born in South Boston, Massachusetts ...

, American Medal of Honor recipient * Millie Perkins, American film and television actor *

Niles Perkins Niles Lee Perkins, Jr. (July 1, 1919 – April 25, 1971) was an American athlete and physician. Perkins was United States champion in men's 35-lb weight throw in 1940 and held the weight throw indoor world record for nine years. He was also a goo ...

(1919–1971), American athlete and physician * Osgood Perkins (1892–1937), American actor * Paul Perkins (born 1994), American football player * Pinetop Perkins (1913–2011), American blues pianist * Polly Perkins (born 1943), British actress, singer and writer * Ray Perkins (1941–2020), American football coach and former player *

Reginald Perkins Reginald Perkins (April 29, 1955 – January 22, 2009) was an American serial killer and sex offender who was capital punishment, executed in Texas for the December 2000 murder of his stepmother. He was also linked with DNA to the murders of two ...

(1955–2009), American serial killer * Robbie Perkins (born 1994), Australian professional baseball player *

Rodney Perkins Rodney Perkins (born 1936), a physician and entrepreneur, is Professor of Surgery at the Stanford School of Medicine. Biography Born in 1936, Perkins grew up in Evansville, Indiana. He attended Indiana University, initially enrolling as a dent ...

(born 1936), physician and entrepreneur * Ronnie Perkins (born 1999), American football player * Sam Perkins (born 1961), National Basketball Association player *

Samuel E. Perkins Samuel Elliott Perkins (December 6, 1811 – December 17, 1879)Minde C. Browning, Richard Humphrey, and Bruce Kleinschmidt,Biographical Sketches of Indiana Supreme Court Justices, ''Indiana Law Review'', Vol. 30, No. 1 (1997), section reproduced ...

(1811–1879), Justice of the Indiana Supreme Court *

Sarah Maria Clinton Perkins Sarah Maria Clinton Perkins ( Clinton; pen name S. M. Perkins and S. M. C. Perkins; April 23, 1824 – December 2, 1905) was an American Universalist minister, social reformer, lecturer, editor, and author of Sunday school books. Early in life ...

(1824-1905), American social reformer, newspaper editor * Shane Perkins, Australian track cyclist *

Stephanie Perkins Stephanie Perkins is an American author, known for her books ''Anna and the French Kiss'', ''Lola and the Boy Next Door'', The New York Times bestseller ''Isla and the Happily Ever After'' and ''There's Someone Inside Your House'', the latter of w ...

, American author * Stephen Perkins, American musician, drummer, and songwriter with Jane's Addiction *

Sue Perkins Susan Elizabeth Perkins (born 22 September 1969) is an English actress, broadcaster, comedian, presenter and writer. Originally coming to prominence through her comedy partnership with Mel Giedroyc in ''Mel and Sue'', she has since become best ...

, British television presenter, actress, comedian and writer * Tegwen Perkins (born 1955), Welsh golfer * Tex Perkins, Australian singer-songwriter * Toby Perkins UK Labour Party MP and politician *

Thomas Perkins (cricketer) Thomas Tosswill Norwood Perkins (19 December 1870 – 26 July 1946) was an English schoolmaster, a cricketer who played first-class cricket for Cambridge University and Kent, and a footballer who captained the university side at Cambridge. ...

(1870–1946), English cricketer, footballer and schoolmaster * Thomas Handasyd Perkins (1764–1854), American businessman and philanthropist * Tom Perkins, American businessman, founder/principal of

Kleiner Perkins Kleiner Perkins, formerly Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers (KPCB), is an American venture capital firm which specializes in investing in incubation, early stage and growth companies. Since its founding in 1972, the firm has backed entrepreneurs ...

* Tony Perkins (politician), American pastor, politician and activist *

Tony Perkins (news anchor) Anthony Perkins (born August 25, 1959) is an American broadcast journalist, radio personality, and former weathercaster, best known for his work on ABC's ''Good Morning America'' as the primary weather anchor from 1999 to 2005. Perkins joined CBS ...

, American broadcast journalist, radio personality, and former weathercaster *

Tracy Perkins Tracy E. Perkins (born 1971) is a Sergeant First Class (reduced in rank by court martial to Staff Sergeant) in the U.S. Army. On 3 January 2004, he forced, at gunpoint, civilian plumbers Zaidoun Hassoun and Marwan Fadel to leap from a road bridge ...

, court-martialed US Army sergeant * Troy Perkins, American soccer player for the Portland Timbers *

Warren Perkins Warren Charles "Red" Perkins (February 2, 1922 – September 12, 2014) was an American professional basketball player. Perkins was selected in the fourth round of the 1949 BAA Draft by the Providence Steamrollers after a collegiate career at Tula ...

(1922–2014), American professional basketball player * Wayne Perkins, lead session guitarist for The Rolling Stones, Bob Marley, Everly Brothers and others * William Perkins (disambiguation), several people

Fictional characters

Ma Perkins ''Ma Perkins'' (sometimes called ''Oxydol's Own Ma Perkins'') is an American radio soap opera that was heard on NBC from 1933 to 1949 and on CBS from 1942 to 1960. It was also broadcast in Canada, and Radio Luxembourg carried it in Europe. The ...

, star of the radio soap opera from 1933 to 1960 * Perkins, character in the Harry Potter books *

Ann Perkins Ann Meredith Perkins, RN, portrayed by Rashida Jones, is a fictional character in the NBC comedy ''Parks and Recreation''. She is a nurse and Leslie Knope's best friend. Storyline Season 1 At the start of the series, Ann Perkins is living wit ...

, in the NBC sitcom ''

Parks and Recreation ''Parks and Recreation'' (also known as ''Parks and Rec'') is an American political satire mockumentary sitcom television series created by Greg Daniels and Michael Schur. The series aired on NBC from April 9, 2009, to February 24, 2015, for 125 ...

'' *Emma Perkins, protagonist in the musical '' The Guy Who Didn't Like Musicals'' * Harry Perkins, principal character in the novel and TV adaptation '' A Very British Coup'' * Perch Perkins, a news anchorman in the TV series '' SpongeBob SquarePants'' * Polly Perkins, a servant maid unsuccessfully wooed by a milkman, whom she rejected for "the bow-legged conductor of a tuppenny bus", in the 1864 musical-hall song '' Pretty Polly Perkins of Paddington Green'' * Polly Perkins, protagonist of American comic strip ''Polly and Her Pals''

Notable people with the surname

Fictional characters

See also