Bapt 'the son of Peter,' from the French Pierre, diminutive Perrot or Parrot (little Peter). Par and Per are similarly found in Parkinson or Perkinson, Parkins or Perkins; v. Porrett. (2) Nick. 'the parrot, 'i.e. the chatterer. The origin is exactly the same, the application only being different. In France pierrot, i.e. little Peter, is still the name for a sparrow, as Robin with us for the redbreast. The first instance below will prove how early the diminutive of Peter gave name to the tropical bird we are familiar with, and how popular the name of Peter was; compare mag-pie, and v. Philipshank.

William le Perot, 1277. Writs of Parliament.

Ralph Perot, 1277. Writs of Parliament.

Simon Peret, 1290. Writs of Parliament.

Perot Gruer. Calendarium Rotulorum Originalium.

Thomas Perret. Rolls of Parliament.

Perrot Loppes: see Index, Wars of English in France, Henry VI.

John Porrett, or Perott, or Parott, or Parrett, 1520: Register of the University of Oxford.

Edward Parrett, or Perott, or Perrett, 1546: ibid.

Parrott is the commonest form in the United States.

This surname is derived from the name of an ancestor. 'the son of Peter,' from Pierre, diminutive Perrot, Parrot, Porret, &c.; v. Parratt.

John Porrett, or Perott, or Parott: Register of the University of Oxford.

Robert Porrett, or Perrott: ibid.

1775. Married — William Porrott and Margaret Thomas: St. George, Hanover Square.

1 the French Poret, Porret, apparently rather for Pauret, a diminutive from Old French paure (French pauvre), Latin pauper, ‘poor,’ than a nickname from Old French poret, from Latin porr- us, ‘a leek’ [French diminutive suff. -et] See Poore.

2 for Parrett, Parritt, q.v.

May have been originally applied to a talkative person. So the classical Psittacus, from Ψιττακη. There is however equal probability of its having been derived from the river Parret, or from Pierrot, a French diminutive of Pierre, Peter. The surname has been varied to Parratt, Parrett, and Parritt.

Phylippus Poret, Normandy, 1198 (Magni Rotuli Scaccarii Normanniae).

The name of Parrott, probably a form of Perrett or Perrott, a common Somersetshire name, is better represented in Bucks, and is referred to also under that county. Robert Perrot, gent., of Oxford, who was buried in St. Peter's church in 1550, was a son of G. Perrot of Haverford - West, Pembrokeshire. Simon Parret, a proctor of Oxford University, died in 1584 (Wo.). There was a gentle family of Parratt in the parish of Enstone during the reign of Elizabeth (J.) The connection between the present Perretts and the Parrotts is referred to under Somersetshire.

Porrett: Between 1599 and 1619, six mayors of Hartlepool, in the neighbouring county of Durham, bore the name of Porrett (Sharp's "Hartlepool").