Parent
A surname taken from the French word for a kinsman or relative, originally meaning “parent.”
The #3,225 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 27,584 Americans shares it.
Etymology
This surname comes from French parent, meaning a relative or kinsman. The French word goes back to Latin parens, “parent” or “father/mother.” In surname use, it was probably taken as a nickname or identifying label for a family connection rather than as a direct occupational name.
History
Lower described Parent as a very early surname and suggested it was used in the French sense of “kinsman.” The name is especially associated with French-speaking regions and later appears in English records through immigration and cross-Channel contact. It is also found as a surname in North America, where it has been carried by French and French-Canadian families.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The word parent ultimately traces back to the same Latin root as English ‘parent’ and ‘parens.’
From the historical record
“PARE. Fr. ;jcre, father. PARENT. Probably intended in the Fr. sense of kinsman. A A'ery early sur- name. Parent. H.R. PARFETT. PARFITT. A-Norm. patfit, O.E. 2)a7falt, perfect. PARGETTER. PARGITER. A plas- terei'. The term ' pargeting ' is generally applied to the more ornamental kinds of plaster work. "Payyet…”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom