Perkins surname meaning

Perkins is a patronymic built from Perkin, a medieval diminutive of Peter, plus the family-forming ending -s. It is therefore commonly explained as “son of Peter,” with “little Peter” describing the nickname at the center of the form. Peter ultimately comes from Greek Petros, “stone,” but that is the history of the given name rather than a literal description of a Perkins family. Parkin, Parkins, and Perkinson are related forms in English records, though spelling similarity does not prove one line. Parent’s name is the direct catalog type, and confidence is high for this English patronymic explanation.