Sargent is a

surname In some cultures, a surname, family name, or last name is the portion of one's personal name that indicates one's family, tribe or community. Practices vary by culture. The family name may be placed at either the start of a person's full name ...

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

(possibly

Etruscan __NOTOC__ Etruscan may refer to: Ancient civilization *The Etruscan language, an extinct language in ancient Italy *Something derived from or related to the Etruscan civilization **Etruscan architecture **Etruscan art **Etruscan cities ** Etrusca ...

), early

medieval English Middle English (abbreviated to ME) is a form of the English language that was spoken after the Norman conquest of 1066, until the late 15th century. The English language underwent distinct variations and developments following the Old English p ...

and

Old French Old French (, , ; Modern French: ) was the language spoken in most of the northern half of France from approximately the 8th to the 14th centuries. Rather than a unified language, Old French was a linkage of Romance dialects, mutually intelligib ...

origin, and has also been used as a given name.

Background

The surname of Sargent in the various ways in which it is spelled is said to have come from the Latin phrase, ''"servientes armorum"'' (men discharging a military service) and therefore,

soldiers A soldier is a person who is a member of an army. A soldier can be a conscripted or volunteer enlisted person, a non-commissioned officer, or an officer. Etymology The word ''soldier'' derives from the Middle English word , from Old French ...

(''"Serjens d'Armes"''); and "Serjiant of the Law" (''"Serviens ad Legem"'') was also a term in very early use. The English translation of ''Serviens'' into Sargent did not appear until the reign of Henry III or

Edward I Edward I (17/18 June 1239 – 7 July 1307), also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 1272 to 1307. Concurrently, he ruled the duchies of Aquitaine and Gascony as a vassal o ...

. Today, the surname has many variant spellings ranging from ''Sargant, Sargeant'' and ''Seargeant'' to ''Sergant, Searjeant'' and ''Sergeaunt''.Sargent surname
by

Ancestry.com Ancestry.com LLC is an American genealogy company based in Lehi, Utah. The largest for-profit genealogy company in the world, it operates a network of genealogical, historical records, and related genetic genealogy websites. In November 2018, ...

Surname

Notable people with the name include:

In arts and entertainment

* Alvin Sargent (1927–2019), American screenwriter *

Carl Sargent Carl Lynwood Sargent (11 December 1952 – 12 September 2018) was a British parapsychologist and author of several roleplaying game-based products and novels, who used the pen name Keith Martin to write ''Fighting Fantasy'' gamebooks. Early life ...

(born 1952), British author of role-playing games *

Dick Sargent Richard Stanford Cox (April 19, 1930 – July 8, 1994), known professionally as Dick Sargent, was an American actor, notable as the second actor to portray Darrin Stephens on ABC's fantasy situation comedy ''Bewitched''. He took the name ''Dick ...

(1930–1994), American actor known for his role in ''Bewitched'' * Edward Sargent (architect) (1842–1914), American Architect *

Frances Sargent Osgood Frances Sargent Osgood ( née Locke; June 18, 1811 – May 12, 1850) was an American poet and one of the most popular women writers during her time.Silverman, 281 Nicknamed "Fanny", she was also famous for her exchange of romantic poems with Edga ...

(née Locke) (1811–1850), American poet * Henry Sargent (1770–1845), American painter and soldier *

Herb Sargent Herbert Sargent (born Supowitz; July 15, 1923 – May 6, 2005) was an American television writer, a producer for such comedy shows as ''The Tonight Show'' and ''Saturday Night Live'', and a screenwriter ('' Bye Bye Braverman''). During his tenu ...

(1923–2005), American television writer and producer *

John Singer Sargent John Singer Sargent (; January 12, 1856 – April 14, 1925) was an American expatriate artist, considered the "leading portrait painter of his generation" for his evocations of Edwardian-era luxury. He created roughly 900 oil paintings and more ...

(1856–1925), portrait artist *

Joseph Sargent Joseph Sargent (born Giuseppe Danielle Sorgente; July 22, 1925 – December 22, 2014) was an American film director. Though he directed many television movies, his best known feature-length works were arguably the action movie '' White Ligh ...

(1925–2014), American film director *

Judith Sargent Murray Judith Sargent Stevens Murray (May 1, 1751 – June 9, 1820) was an early American advocate for women's rights, an essay writer, playwright, poet, and letter writer. She was one of the first American proponents of the idea of the equality of the ...

(1751–1820), American women's rights advocate and writer *

Kenny Sargent Laurel Kenneth Sargent (March 3, 1906 – December 20, 1969)

, American musician and disc jockey *

Kevin Sargent (composer) Kevin Sargent is a British composer for film and television who began his career as a drummer, percussionist and keyboardist with cult dance/rock pioneers Thrashing Doves. Signed to A&M and Elektra Records, he learnt his craft at the elbow of ...

, film and television composer *

Lia Sargent Lia Sargent is an American voice actress. She is known for extensive anime and video game voice work and has also done ADR directing and script writing for Animaze.. iNC. She is the daughter of movie and TV director Joseph Sargent and actres ...

, American voice actress *

Malcolm Sargent Sir Harold Malcolm Watts Sargent (29 April 1895 – 3 October 1967) was an English conductor, organist and composer widely regarded as Britain's leading conductor of choral works. The musical ensembles with which he was associated include ...

(1895–1967), British conductor, organist and composer * Margaret Holland Sargent (born 1927), American portrait artist *

Martin Sargent Martin Sargent is an American television personality and was co-host of the This WEEK in FUN podcast with Sarah Lane. He is most well known from his time as a Segment Producer on TechTV's ''The Screen Savers'' and later as the host of his own ...

(born 1975), American television personality *

Pamela Sargent Pamela Sargent (born March 20, 1948) is an American feminist, science fiction author, and editor. She has an MA in classical philosophy and has won a Nebula Award. Sargent wrote a trilogy concerning the terraforming of Venus that is sometim ...

(born 1948), American science fiction writer * Richard Sargent (1911–1978), American illustrator *

Robert F. Sargent Robert F. Sargent (August 26, 1923 – May 8, 2012) was a United States Coast Guard The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and law enforcement service branch of the United States Armed Forces and o ...

(), American war photographer * Roger Sargent (photographer) (born 1970), a British photographer * G.F. Sargent, British painter

Politicians

* Aaron A. Sargent (1827–1887) American journalist, lawyer, politician and diplomat * Eddie Sargent (1915–1998), Canadian politician *

Francis W. Sargent Francis Williams Sargent (July 29, 1915 – October 22, 1998) was an American politician who served as the 64th governor of Massachusetts from 1969 to 1975. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as the 63rd Lieutenant Govern ...

(1915–1998), American politician * John Sargent (1715–1791), British Member of Parliament for

West Looe West or Occident is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from east and is the direction in which the Sun sets on the Earth. Etymology The word "west" is a Germanic word passed into some R ...

and Midhurst * John Sargent (1750–1831), British Member of Parliament for Seaford, Bodmin and Queenborough * John Sargent (merchant) (1792–1874), Canadian merchant, farmer and politician * John Sargent (1799–1880), American politician *

Trevor Sargent Trevor Anthony Sargent (born 26 July 1960) is a minister of the Church of Ireland and a former Irish Green Party politician who served as a Minister of State from 2007 to 2010 and Leader of the Green Party from 2001 to 2007. He served as a Tea ...

(born 1960), Irish politician *

Winthrop Sargent Winthrop Sargent (May 1, 1753 – June 3, 1820) was a United States patriot, politician, and writer; and a member of the Federalist party. Early life Sargent was born in Gloucester, Massachusetts on May 1, 1753. He was one of eight children ...

(1753–1820), American politician

Scientists and engineers

Anneila Sargent Professor Anneila Isabel Sargent FRSE DSc (born Anneila Cassells, 1942, Kirkcaldy) is a Scottish–American astronomer who specializes in star formation. Biography Sargent was brought up in Burntisland, Fife, and schooled at Burntisland ...

(born 1942), Scottish–American astronomer * Bernice Weldon Sargent (1906–1993), Canadian physicist *

Charles Sprague Sargent Charles Sprague Sargent (April 24, 1841 – March 22, 1927) was an American botanist. He was appointed in 1872 as the first director of Harvard University's Arnold Arboretum in Boston, Massachusetts, and held the post until his death. He pub ...

(1841–1927), American botanist * Oswald Hewlett Sargent (1880–1952), Australian botanist and plant collector * Roger Sargent (1926–2018), chemical engineer *

Thomas J. Sargent Thomas John Sargent (born July 19, 1943) is an American economist and the W.R. Berkley Professor of Economics and Business at New York University. He specializes in the fields of macroeconomics, monetary economics, and time series econometrics ...

(born 1943), American economist *

Wallace L. W. Sargent Wallace Leslie William Sargent (February 15, 1935 – October 29, 2012) was a British-born American astronomer and the Ira S. Bowen Professor of Astronomy at California Institute of Technology. Education Sargent was born in Elsham, No ...

(born 1935), British-American astronomer *

Winifred Sargent Winifred Lydia Caunden Sargent (8 May 1905 – October 1979) was an English mathematician. She studied at Newnham College, Cambridge and carried out research into Lebesgue integration, fractional integration and differentiation and the propert ...

(1905–1979), English mathematician * Edward H. Sargent, Canadian scientist

Soldiers

* John Sargent (Loyalist) (1750–1824), Loyalist officer during the American Revolutionary War *

John Neptune Sargent Lieutenant General John Neptune Sargent CB (18 June 1826 – 20 October 1893) was Commander of British Troops in China, Hong Kong and the Straits Settlements. Military career Sargent was commissioned into the 95th Regiment of Foot in 1844. I ...

(1826–1893), commander of British troops in China, Hong Kong and the Straits Settlements *

Paul Dudley Sargent Paul Dudley Sargent (Baptized June 23, 1745, Salem, Massachusetts – September 28, 1828 Sullivan, Maine) was a privateer and soldier in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. Early life Sargent was born in 1745 and baptized ...

(baptized 1745–died 1828), privateer and soldier in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War * Ruppert L. Sargent (1938–1967), American soldier

In sports

* April Sargent, American figure skater *

Bill Sargent William Hilton Sargent (February 25, 1907 – March 18, 1963) was an American college, high school, and professional football coach. He served as the head coach at Loyola Marymount University from 1947 to 1948. Sargent also coached the Los Angeles ...

(born 1907), American football coach * Danyelle Sargent (born ), American sports television reporter *

Frank Sargent (sports executive) Frank Forest Sargent (July 6, 1902 – September 28, 1988) was a Canadian sports executive in ice hockey and curling. He served as president of the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA) from 1942 to 1945, and was president of the Do ...

(1902–1988), a Canadian executive in ice hockey and curling * Gary Sargent (born 1954), Native American Hockey Player * George Sargent (golfer) (1882–1962), English golfer * James Sargent (born 1973), American hockey player *

Kevin Sargent (American football) Kevin Sargent (born March 31, 1969) is a former American football Offensive tackle in the National Football League. He was signed by the Cincinnati Bengals as an undrafted free agent in 1992. He played college football at Eastern Washington E ...

(born 1969), American football player *

Josh Sargent Joshua Thomas Sargent (born February 20, 2000) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a forward or winger for EFL Championship club Norwich City and the United States national team. In May 2017, at the age of 17, he became t ...

(born 2000), American soccer player * Mark Sargent (born 1964), Australian rugby league footballer *

Mekhi Sargent Mekhi Sargent (born October 8, 1997) is an American football running back for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League (NFL). He went undrafted in the 2021 NFL Draft. Sargent played college football at Iowa. Professional career ...

(born 1997), American football player * Mitchell Sargent (born 1979), Australian rugby league footballer * Murray Sargent (1928–2012), Australian cricketer

Other

* Alonzo Sargent (1866–1942), American locomotive engineer *

Ben Sargent Ben Sargent (born November 26, 1948) is a retired American editorial cartoonist. He began drawing editorial cartoons for the '' Austin American-Statesman'' in 1974 and retired in 2009. His cartoons are also distributed nationally by Universal P ...

(born 1948), American editorial cartoonist * C. B. R. Sargent (1906–1943), British educator and clergyman *

Charlie Sargent Combat 18 (C18 or 318) is a neo-Nazi terrorist organisation that was founded in 1992. It originated in the United Kingdom, with ties to movements in Canada and the United States. Since then it has spread to other countries, including Germany. ...

, British criminal *Cornelia Sargent, lawyer, chair of the

Albert Einstein Institution The Albert Einstein Institution (AEI) is a non-profit organization specializing in the study of the methods of nonviolent resistance in conflict. It was founded by scholar Gene Sharp in 1983, and named after Albert Einstein. Until 2000, the i ...

* Daniel Wycliffe Sargent (born 1850), British explorer * David Sargent (born 1929), American lawyer and academic *

Dwight E. Sargent Dwight Emerson Sargent (April 3, 1917 – April 4, 2002) was an American journalist. Born in Pembroke, Massachusetts, he graduated in 1939 from Colby College and served in Europe with the United States Army during World War II. Sargent work ...

(1917–2002), American journalist * Frank P. Sargent (1854–1908), American trade union functionary *

George Sargent (businessman) George Sargent (1859–1921) was an Australian businessman. George and his wife Charlotte Sargent (née Foster) (1856–1924) were both pastry cooks and caterers. Together with their son Foster Sargent, they founded Sargent's meat pies com ...

(1859–1921), Australian businessman * Henry Winthrop Sargent (1810–1882), American landscape gardener *

Irene Sargent Irene Sargent (February 20, 1852 - September 14, 1932) was an American art historian and leading advocate of the American Arts and Crafts movement, especially through her numerous influential articles in '' The Craftsman'' magazine. Family and ...

(1852–1932), American art historian * John G. Sargent (1860–1939), American lawyer and U.S. Attorney General * John Turner Sargent (born ), American publisher * Kevin Sargent, several people *

Lucius Manlius Sargent Lucius Manlius Sargent (June 25, 1786 – June 2, 1867) was an American author, antiquarian, and temperance advocate who was a member of the prominent Sargent family of Boston. Early life Sargent was born in Boston, the youngest of seven child ...

(1786–1867), American author, antiquarian and temperance advocate *

Lydia Sargent Lydia Sargent (January 10, 1942 – September 27, 2020) was an American feminist, writer, author, playwright, and actor. Biography She was a founder and original member of the South End Press Collective, as well as Z Magazine, which she co-ed ...

(born 1942), American feminist * Mark K. Sargent, American proponent of the flat Earth conspiracy theory *Sir

Orme Sargent Sir Harold Orme Garton Sargent (31 October 1884 – 23 October 1962) was a British diplomat and civil servant. Early life and career Sargent was born Giles Orme Sargent; his parents changed his name after they registered his birth. He was educat ...

(1884–1962), British diplomat and civil servant * Shirley Sargent (1927–2004), American local historian

Fictional characters

*John Sargent, alter ego of the DC Comics character

Sargon the Sorcerer Sargon the Sorcerer is the name of several fictional characters, the first incarnation of the character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics during the Golden Age of Comic Books, Golden Age. The original incarnation of the is J ...

c. 1941
His grandson David Sargent inherited this alter ego. *Joe Sargent, a bus driver in the horror novella

The Shadow over Innsmouth ''The Shadow over Innsmouth'' is a horror novella by American author H. P. Lovecraft, written in November–December 1931. It forms part of the Cthulhu Mythos, using its motif of a malign undersea civilization, and references several shared ...

by H.P. Lovecraft.

Given name

Sargent Kahanamoku Sargent Hiikua Kahanamoku (March 5, 1910 – May 16, 1993) was a Native Hawaiian aquatic athlete and public relations spokesperson for Standard Oil Company. Sculptor Malvina Hoffman used him as her model for part of The Races of Mankind exhibit a ...

(1910–1993), Native Hawaiian aquatic athlete *Robert

Sargent Shriver Robert Sargent Shriver Jr. (November 9, 1915 – January 18, 2011) was an American diplomat, politician, and activist. As the husband of Eunice Kennedy Shriver, he was part of the Kennedy family. Shriver was the driving force behind the creatio ...

(1915–2011), American politician and activist

References

{{reflist English-language surnames