Parson Family History

English: status name or nickname from Middle English persone persoun ‘priest parson’ (Old French persone). The status of medieval bearers of the surname is uncertain. Priests were generally known by a habitational name rather than by a surname denoting their role in the church.

They were not allowed to marry but doubtless many had illegitimate children, some of whom may have been given Parson as a surname. Some of the original bearers may have been given it as a nickname (compare Priest Bishop Monk) or it may have been an occupational name for someone who worked for the parson (a shortened form of Personesservaunt perhaps).

English: in northern England and the North Midlands especially, it is often a variant of Pearson. For the change in vowel, compare Parr.

Americanized form of Swedish Pärsson Pehrsson (see Pehrson) or Persson, patronymics from vernacular shortened forms of the personal name Peter.

Americanized form of one or more similar (like-sounding) Jewish names.