Surname Parks - Meaning and Origin

An Unexpected Journey: DNA Revelations of the Surname Parks

DNA testing can reveal unexpected facts about one's roots and ancestry. The story of our forefathers can often have twists, turns, and unexpected surprises. As one with the commonplace surname, Parks, I embarked on this journey with iGENEA DNA; discovering an unexpected lineage.

A. Parks

Parks: What does the surname Parks mean?

The last name Parks is of English origin and is derived from the term "park," which referred to a hunting ground or open pasture during medieval times. The surname originally signified a person who lived or worked near such a place. Over time, as surnames were standardized, it was often given to individuals who served as park keepers or lived near lands owned by a lord or noble. Occupationally, it also referred to those whose responsibility included maintaining these lands. The first recorded spelling of this surname is believed to belong to Richard del Park from Yorkshire, England, in 1208. Later variations of the name include Park, Parkes, and Parrick. As with many surnames, Parks spread throughout England and later the world due to colonization and emigration. Today, it remains a common surname across English-speaking countries. The name rose to prominence with individuals like Rosa Parks, a prominent figure in the U.S. civil rights movement.

Parks: Where does the name Parks come from?

The last name Parks is common throughout the United States and Canada. It can be found scattered across all fifty states and in all ten provinces. It is especially common in the southern United States, with the highest concentration in North Carolina, where over 200,000 people listed Parks as their last name in the 2010 census.

Parks is also fairly common in the United Kingdom, appearing in the millions according to a 2010 report. The highest concentrations are in England and Scotland, with hundreds of thousands living in both countries. Northern Ireland and Wales also have a substantial number of Parks in their populations.

The last name Parks is also popular in Australia, primarily in large cities and on the coast. Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane are known for having a higher concentration of citizens with the last name Parks. Although it is most common in cities, rural towns in the east and south of Australia also boast a respectable amount of Parks.

Overall, the Parks last name is a popular surname worldwide. Its geographical distribution follows that of general population migration, indicating that it was likely present for many generations.

Variations of the surname Parks

The surname Parks is believed to be derived from the Old French word “park,” which meant an enclosed area of land. As such, the surname is usually found in England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales, where many families adopted the name when Norman conquerors brought to the British Isles the French language and culture.

The name can take various spellings, such as Park, Parke, and Parrk, reflecting regional variations in pronunciation. The most common variant spellings, however, are Parkes and Parks.

In addition to the primary spelling, there are several related surnames with the same origin, such as Parke, Parkin, Parkman, Parkins, Parkyns and Parkhouse.

The surname Parks is also found as a secondary name among various branches of several clans in Scotland, including Clan Leslie and Clan Gordon. It is also found among some Irish families, usually in the form of Parkes or Parks.

The Parks surname has been found in many countries across the world over the years. In the United States, it is especially common in the southern states. In Australia, the surname is commonly found in Melbourne and its surrounding areas. Other countries where the Parks surname is strongly represented include Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, and the United Kingdom.

Famous people with the name Parks

• Rosa Parks: An American civil rights activist best known for her refusal to give up her seat in the “colored section” of a bus, as demanded by the driver, sparking the Montgomery Bus Boycott and advancing the civil rights movement.
• Theodore Roosevelt Parks: A World War I and II veteran and sixth-generation descendent of the first white person to enter Oakland County, Michigan.
• Gordon Parks: An American photographer, musician, novelist, poet, and film director best known for his photographs of black Americans depicted in everyday life.
• Abigail Parks: An American poet and essayist known for such books as ‘The Open Hand’ and ‘After Life,’ exploring questions of mortality, spirituality, and desire.
• Ruth Parks: An American modernist painter.
• Carlotta Parks: An American painter and sculptor best known for her large oil paintings often depicting the female form.
• Shelby Parks: An American former Olympic volleyball player.
• Harry Parke, Jr.: A former Major League Baseball center fielder who played from 1947 to 1953 for the Philadelphia Athletics and Boston Red Sox.
• Nathan Parks: An American country music and folk musician, best known for his work as a solo artist on the labels Rounder Records and Lonesome Day Records.
• Ann and Samuel Parks: A husband and wife team who lectured on the eightieth anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin and wrote multiple books about how Darwin's theories of evolution apply to the day-to-day life in the United States.

Other surnames

ParkParkeParkerParkersonParkesParkesonParkhurstParkinParkinsParkinsonParkisParkisonParkmanParksonParkyns