Parsons (surname)

Parsons is an English surname although it's known to go back several centuries in Southern Ireland (Catholic) as well. The name has an occupational meaning, and refers to a parson's servant or a person who worked in the parson's house. Another meaning of the surname is the parson's son.

Notable people with the surname of Parsons include the following.

Academia and science

• Charles Algernon Parsons (1854–1931), Irish engineer, inventor of the steam turbine
• Charles Parsons (philosopher) (born 1943), American philosopher
• Coleman Parsons (1905–1991), American professor of literature
• Elsie Clews Parsons (1875–1941), American anthropologist, sociologist, folklorist, and feminist
• Frederick Gymer Parsons (1863–1943), English writer and scientist
• John Herbert Parsons (1863–1957), British ophthalmologist
• Peter J. Parsons (1936 - 2022), British classicist and papyrologist
• Talcott Parsons (1902–1979), American sociologist best known for his social action theory and structural functionalism
• Terence Parsons (1939–2022), American philosopher
• Theophilus Parsons (1749–1813), American jurist
• Torrence Parsons (1941–1987), American mathematician

Art

• Alfred William Parsons (1847-1920), English illustrator, landscape painter, garden designer
• Beatrice Emma Parsons (1870-1955), English garden painter
• Betty Parsons (1900–1982), American artist and art dealer
• Elizabeth Parsons (1831–1897), English-Australian artist
• Eunice Parsons (born 1916), American modernist collage artist and art teacher.
• Peter Parsons (1936–2022), ceramic artist

Performing arts

• Agnes Parsons, American screenwriter
• Andy Parsons (born 1966), English comedian
• Charlie Parsons (born 1958), British television producer
• Christopher Parsons (1932–2002), English filmmaker and producer
• Estelle Parsons (born 1927), Academy Award-winning actress
• Jim Parsons (born 1973), American television and film actor
• Karyn Parsons (born 1966), American film and television actress
• Nancy Parsons (1942–2001), American actress
• Nathan Parsons (born 1988), Australian-American actor
• Nicholas Parsons (1923–2020), English actor and radio and television presenter
• Percy Parsons (1878–1944), American actor
• Philip Parsons, Australian drama academic and publisher
• Rodger Parsons, American voice actor

Military and diplomacy

• Alfred Parsons (diplomat) (1925–2010), Australian diplomat
• Sir Anthony Parsons (1922–1996), British diplomat, ambassador to Iran and to the United Nations
• Francis Newton Parsons, British soldier, awarded the Victoria Cross
• Harold Parsons (1863–1925), British Army officer, for whom Parsons Barracks named
• Isaac Parsons (American military officer) (1814–1862), Virginia military officer and Virginia House Delegate
• Mosby Parsons (1822–1865), U.S. officer in the Mexican–American War

Music

• Alan Parsons (born 1948), British musician and record producer
• Dave Parsons (born 1966), English bass guitarist
• Gene Parsons (born 1944), American musician
• Geoffrey Parsons (lyricist) (1910–1987), English lyricist
• Geoffrey Parsons (pianist) (1929–1995), Australian classical pianist
• Gram Parsons (1946–1973), American singer, songwriter, guitarist and pianist
• Lynn Parsons, British radio disk jockey
• Robert Parsons (composer) (c. 1535 – 1572), English composer
• Squire Parsons (born 1949), American gospel singer
• Ted Parsons, American drummer

Politicians and activists

• Albert Parsons (1848–1887), American labor activist, anarchist newspaper editor, and orator
• Andrew Parsons (American politician) (1817–1856), American politician
• Cornelius R. Parsons (1842–1901), New York politician
• Eileen Parsons, British Virgin Islands politician
• Ernie Parsons (born 1946), Canadian JP and politician
• Herbert Parsons (New York politician) (1869–1925), U.S. Representative from New York
• Herbert Angas Parsons (1872–1945), South Australian lawyer, politician and judge
• Isaac Parsons (Virginia politician) (1752–1796), Virginia militia officer and Virginia House Delegate
• Jamie Parsons (1941–2015), Alaskan politician
• Lewis E. Parsons (1817-1895), American politician, governor of Alabama
• Lucy Parsons (1853–1942), American labor organizer, radical socialist and anarcho-communist
• Robert E. Parsons (1892-1966), American politician
• Sidney Parsons (1893–1955), Canadian politician
• Silas Parsons (c. 1800–1860), justice of the Supreme Court of Alabama
• S. Titus Parsons (d. 1881), American politician and lawyer
• Thomas Parsons (politician) (1814–1873), New York politician

Religion

• Donald J. Parsons, American Episcopal bishop
• Jonathan Parsons (1705–1776), New England clergyman
• Robert Persons (1546 – 1610), English Jesuit priest, later known as Robert Parsons

Sports

• Benny Parsons (1941–2007), American NASCAR driver
• Bill Parsons (born 1948), American baseball player
• Bob Parsons (American football) (1950–2022), American football player
• Brian Parsons (1933–1999), English cricketer
• Buzz Parsons (born 1950), Canadian soccer player
• Casey Parsons, American Major League baseball player
• Chandler Parsons (born 1988), American basketball player
• David Parsons (cricket coach) (born 1967), English cricket coach
• David Parsons (racing driver) (born 1959), Australian racing driver
• Donald Parsons, businessman and owner of the Pittsburgh Penguins
• Eric Parsons (1923–2011), English footballer
• Geoff Parsons (born 1964), Scottish high jumper
• Herbert Parsons (cricketer) (1875–1937), Australian cricket player for Victoria
• Jayne Parsons (born 1962), New Zealand paralympic cyclist
• Johnnie Parsons (1918–1984), American race car driver
• Johnny Parsons (born 1944), American race car driver
• Jordan Parsons (1990−2016) American mixed martial artist
• Keith Parsons (born 1973), English cricketer
• King Parsons (born 1945), American professional wrestler
• Liam Parsons (born 1977), Canadian rower
• Lindsay Parsons (1946–2019), English footballer
• Lucas Parsons (born 1989), Australian professional golfer
• Micah Parsons (born 1999), American football player
• Phil Parsons (born 1957), American NASCAR driver
• Rachel Parsons (born 1997), American figure skater
• Sarah Parsons (born 1987), American ice hockey player
• Sarah Wilhite Parsons (born 1995), American volleyball player
• Tom Parsons (born 1988), Gaelic footballer
• Zane Parsons (born 1976), Australian rules footballer

Others

• Abraham Parsons (died 1785), English commercial consul and traveller
• Bob Parsons (born 1950), American entrepreneur
• Chick Parsons (1900–1988), American businessman and diplomat
• Clere Parsons, (1908–1931), English poet
• Eliza Parsons, (1739–1811), English gothic horror writer
• Kathryn Parsons (born 1982), British tech entrepreneur
• Louella Parsons (1881–1972), American gossip columnist
• Martha Parsons (1869–1965), American businesswoman
• Mary Elizabeth Parsons (1859-1947), American author
• Randy Parsons (born 1965), American luthier
• Rehtaeh Parsons (d. April 7, 2013), bullycide victim
• Samuel Parsons (1844–1923), American landscape architect
• Samuel Holden Parsons (1737–1789), American lawyer

Fictional characters

• Ellen Parsons, one of the main characters in the TV series Damages
• Kimberly Parsons (portrayed by Daniella Evangelista]), a character from the movie Cabin by the Lake and its sequel "Return to Cabin by the Lake"
• Nicky Parsons (portrayed by Julia Stiles), a character from the Bourne (film series)
• Rachel Parsons, a character from the movie Gothika
• Tom Parsons and his family, characters from Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four

See also

• Parsons (disambiguation)
• Don Parsons (disambiguation), multiple people
• George Parsons (disambiguation), multiple people
• Jack Parsons (disambiguation), multiple people
• John Parsons (disambiguation), multiple people
• Michael Parsons (disambiguation), multiple people
• Richard Parsons (disambiguation), multiple people
• Tom Parsons (disambiguation), multiple people
• Tony Parsons (disambiguation), multiple people
• William Parsons (disambiguation), multiple people

References