English
name 'Parrish' originates from England. It is derived from the local name for someone from the French capital 'Paris', the name of which derived from that of a Gaulish tribe, recorded in Latin sources as the 'Parisii, the original meaning of which cannot be guessed at. It is also derived from the rare medieval name 'Paris', probably in origin of an Old Flemish form of 'Patrick', but associated with the Trojan prince 'Paris', which has been speculatively traced to an original Illyrian form 'Voltuparis' or 'Assoparis' meaning Hawk. This, the most common form of the name in English is the result of confusion between -s and -sh reinforced by folk etymological association with the modern English vacabulary word 'parish' (from the Middle English word 'Parosse', 'Paroche', Parissche', from the Old Flemish word 'Paroisse', and Greek word 'paroikia'). In the 17th and 18th centuries the surname was occasionally bestowed on foundlings brought up at the expense of the parish. Variant´s: 'Parrish', 'Par(r)is'. Compiled information from Historical and Private archive's has confirmed that the surname 'Parrish' and or it's variant's, dates as far back as the 14th century were a 'Willelmus de Parysch', from the county of Yorkshire, England, is recorded in 1379. Information extracted from Public and Civil registry archive's has not definately determined the exact period of settlement in North America but it is believed that settlers of the surname 'Parrish' arrived soon after the begining of the great migration in the 17th Century. Today, 'Parrish' is the '522nd' most common surname in North America.