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

• Al Perkins, American guitarist
• Annie Stevens Perkins (1868–1911), American writer
• Anthony Perkins (1932–1992), American actor
• Arthur James Perkins (1871–1944), viticulturist and educationist in South Australia
• Benjamin Douglas Perkins (1774–1810), American bookseller and propagandist of therapy with "Perkins tractors"
• Bill Perkins (disambiguation), several people
• Bishop Perkins (1787–1866), member of New York State Assembly, later congressional Representative 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, designer and builder of the Perkins Reluctant Phoenix, a 1960s 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 professional basketball player, 2009 Israeli Basketball Premier League MVP
• 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
• 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
• Henry Perkins (cricketer) (1832–1916), English cricketer and cricket administrator
• Henry Farnham Perkins (1877–1956), American zoologist and eugenicist
• Ian Perkins, American musician/guitarist now in 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: bank-note engraving, engravings transfer, bathometer, pleometer
• Jacqueline Perkins (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
• Josh Perkins (born 1995), American basketball player in the Israeli Basketball Premier League
• Kathleen Rose Perkins (born 1974), American actress
• Kendrick Perkins (born 1984), American basketball player
• Kieren Perkins, Australian Olympic gold medal swimmer
• 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
• 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
• 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
• Rodney Perkins (born 1936), physician and entrepreneur
• Ronnie Perkins (born 1999), American football player
• 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
• Toby Perkins UK Labour Party MP and politician
• Thomas Perkins (cricketer) (1870–1946), English cricketer, footballer and schoolmaster
• Thomas Handasyd Perkins (1764–1854), American businessman and philanthropist
• Tom Perkins, American businessman, founder/principal of Kleiner Perkins
• Tony Perkins (politician), American pastor, politician and activist
• Tony Perkins (news anchor), American broadcast journalist, radio personality, and former weathercaster
• Tracy Perkins, court-martialed US Army sergeant
• Troy Perkins, American soccer player for the Portland Timbers
• Warren Perkins (1922–2014), American professional basketball player
• Wayne Perkins, lead session guitarist for The Rolling Stones, Bob Marley, Everly Brothers and others
• 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
• Perkins, a character in the Harry Potter books

See also

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

Surname list

This page lists people with the surname Perkins.
If an internal link intending to refer to a specific person led you to this page, you may wish to change that link by adding the person's given name(s) to the link.