Perkins is a surname derived from the Anglo-Saxon corruption of the kin of Pierre (from Pierre kin to Pierrekin to Perkins), introduced into England by the Norman Conquest. It is found throughout mid- and southern England.

Another derivation comes from the Welsh Perthyn, relative or belonging to a particular person or family, and also thought to be the Anglicized form of Peredur, from medieval Welsh.

People

A to D

  • A. E. Perkins (June 21, 1879 – April 19, 1946), American principal and author
  • Al Perkins, American guitarist
  • Annie Stevens Perkins (1868–1911), American writer
  • Anthony Perkins (1932–1992), American actor
  • Archie Perkins (b 2002), Australian football league player
  • Arthur James Perkins (1871–1944), viticulturist and educationist in South Australia
  • Benjamin Douglas Perkins (1774–1810), American propagandist of "Perkins tractors" therapy
  • Bill Perkins (disambiguation), several people
  • Bishop Perkins (1787–1866), Congressman from New York
  • Bishop W. Perkins (1841–1894), U.S. Representative and Senator from Kansas
  • Brian Perkins, New Zealander anchor and newsreader on BBC Radio 4
  • Bryce Perkins (born 1996), American football player
  • Broderick Perkins (born 1954), American baseball player
  • Carl Perkins (1932–1998), American singer-songwriter
  • Carl Christopher Perkins, politician, Kentucky Representative
  • Carl Dewey Perkins (1912–1984), politician, Kentucky Representative
  • Charles A. Perkins, American lawyer
  • Charles Callahan Perkins (1823–1886), American art critic and author
  • Charles L. Perkins, technology author
  • Charles N. Perkins, Australian football and political figure
  • Charles S. Perkins, American baseball player
  • Charlotte Perkins Gilman (1860–1935), American sociologist, writer and feminist
  • Cyril Perkins (1911–2013), English cricketer and centenarian
  • Daniel Perkins, of the Perkins Reluctant Phoenix British human-powered aircraft
  • Darius Perkins (1964–2019), Australian actor
  • Daryl Perkins, Australian track cyclist
  • Don Perkins, National Football League running back for the Dallas Cowboys
  • Doron Perkins, American basketball player of Israeli Basketball Premier League

E to K

  • Edward J. Perkins, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations
  • Edwin Perkins (disambiguation), several people
  • Elisha Perkins (1741–1799), American physician
  • Elizabeth Perkins, American actress
  • Emily Perkins, Canadian actress
  • Emily Perkins (novelist), New Zealand author
  • Emily Pitkin Perkins, wife of Connecticut Governor and US Senator Roger Sherman Baldwin
  • Evora Bucknum Perkins (1851–1929), American educator, cookbook writer, and missionary
  • Flo Perkins, American glass artist
  • Frances Perkins (1880–1965), American workers-rights advocate and U.S. Secretary of Labor
  • Frank Perkins (disambiguation), several people
  • Frederic Beecher Perkins (1828–1899), American editor, librarian and writer
  • Gastón Perkins (1928–2006), Argentine racing driver
  • Geoffrey Perkins (1953–2008), British comedy producer, writer, and performer
  • George Perkins (disambiguation), several people
  • Gil Perkins, Australian film and television actor
  • Harold Perkins (born 2004), American football player
  • Henry Coit Perkins (1804–1873), American physician and amateur photographer
  • Henry Perkins (cricketer) (1832–1916), English cricketer and cricket administrator
  • Henry Farnham Perkins (1877–1956), American zoologist and eugenicist
  • Hugh V. Perkins (1918–1988), American human development and education researcher
  • Ian Perkins, American musician/guitarist of the band The Horrible Crowes
  • Isabel Weld Perkins (1876–1948), American socialite and philanthropist
  • J. Will Perkins (died 1926), American politician from Maryland
  • Jack Perkins (disambiguation), several people
  • Jacob Perkins (1766–1849), American engineer and inventor
  • Jacqueline Perkins (runner) (born 1965), Australian long-distance runner
  • Jacqueline Perkins (diplomat), British diplomat and ambassador
  • James Perkins (disambiguation), several people
  • Janet Russell Perkins (1853–1933), American botanist
  • Jason Perkins (born 1992), Filipino-Canadian basketball player
  • John Perkins (disambiguation), several people
  • Jordan Courtney-Perkins, Australian footballer
  • Josephine Amelia Perkins (born c. 1818), British horse thief and prisoner
  • Josh Perkins (born 1995), American basketball player in the Israeli Basketball Premier League
  • Julia Shepard Perkins (1799–1884), American writer and educator.
  • Katherine K. Perkins, American physics educator
  • Kathleen Rose Perkins (born 1974), American actress
  • Kendrick Perkins (born 1984), American basketball player
  • Kieren Perkins, Australian Olympic gold medal swimmer

L to R

  • Larry Perkins, Australian Formula One race car driver
  • Laurence Perkins, British classical bassoonist
  • Loftus Perkins, (1834–1891), English engineer
  • Luther Perkins, (1928–1968), American guitarist, backing guitarist for Johnny Cash
  • Marlin Perkins, American ecologist and naturalist
  • Maude B. Perkins (1874-1932), American educator and temperance reformer
  • Maxwell Perkins, American editor for F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, Thomas Wolfe
  • Michael J. Perkins, American Medal of Honor recipient
  • Millie Perkins, American film and television actor
  • Natalia Perkins, Russian and American physicist
  • Niles Perkins (1919–1971), American athlete and physician
  • Osgood Perkins (1892–1937), American actor
  • Oz Perkins (born 1974), American screenwriter, director
  • Paul Perkins (born 1994), American football player
  • Pinetop Perkins (1913–2011), American blues pianist
  • Polly Perkins (born 1943), British actress, singer and writer
  • Ray Perkins (1941–2020), American football coach and former player
  • Reginald Perkins (1955–2009), American serial killer
  • Robbie Perkins (born 1994), Australian professional baseball player
  • Robert Cyril Layton Perkins (1866–1955), British entomologist
  • Rodney Perkins (born 1936), physician and entrepreneur
  • Ronnie Perkins (born 1999), American football player

S to Z

  • Sam Perkins (born 1961), National Basketball Association player
  • Samuel E. Perkins (1811–1879), Justice of the Indiana Supreme Court
  • Sarah Maria Clinton Perkins (1824–1905), American social reformer, newspaper editor
  • Scott Perkins (born 1980), American composer
  • Shane Perkins, Australian track cyclist
  • Stephanie Perkins, American author
  • Stephen Perkins, American musician, drummer, and songwriter with Jane's Addiction
  • Sue Perkins, British television presenter, actress, comedian and writer
  • Tegwen Perkins (born 1955), Welsh golfer
  • Tex Perkins, Australian singer-songwriter
  • Thomas Perkins (cricketer) (1870–1946), English cricketer, footballer and schoolmaster
  • Thomas Clap Perkins (1798–1870), American lawyer and politician
  • Thomas Nelson Perkins (1870–1937), American lawyer from Massachusetts
  • Thomas Handasyd Perkins (1764–1854), American businessman and philanthropist
  • Tom Perkins, American businessman of Kleiner Perkins
  • Toby Perkins UK Labour Party MP and politician
  • Tony Perkins (politician), American pastor, politician and activist
  • Tony Perkins (news anchor), American broadcast journalist, radio personality
  • Tracy Perkins, court-martialed US Army sergeant
  • Troy Perkins, American soccer player for the Portland Timbers
  • Victoria Perkins (born 2004), Welsh boxer
  • Warren Perkins (1922–2014), American professional basketball player
  • Wayne Perkins, lead session guitarist for The Rolling Stones, Bob Marley, Everly Brothers
  • William Perkins (disambiguation), several people

Fictional characters

  • Ann Perkins, in the American sitcom Parks and Recreation
  • Emma Perkins, protagonist in the musical The Guy Who Didn't Like Musicals
  • Harry Perkins, principal character in the novel and TV adaptation A Very British Coup
  • Joe Perkins (Santa Barbara), on the American soap opera Santa Barbara
  • Ma Perkins, star of the radio soap opera from 1933 to 1960
  • Perch Perkins, a news anchorman in the TV series SpongeBob SquarePants
  • Polly Perkins (comics character), protagonist of the American comic strip Polly and Her Pals
  • Polly Perkins, a servant maid in the 1864 musical-hall song "Pretty Polly Perkins of Paddington Green"
  • Quinn Perkins, on the television series Scandal
  • Rosie Perkins, protagonist in the 2023 film Hemet, or the Landlady Don't Drink Tea
  • Perkins, a character in the Harry Potter books
  • Mr. Perkins, live-action host of Thomas & Friends
  • Ms. Perkins, one of the lesser antagonists in the movie "John Wick"

See also

  • Perkin (disambiguation)
  • Perkin (surname)
  • Parkin (surname)
  • Parkins