The surname Perks has multiple possible origins. It is generally agreed to be an occupational name, derived from Middle English "perke", itself from a Dutch or North German original meaning "pork". The surname may have originated as a nickname for someone engaged in the swine trade, or more generally as a nickname descriptive of someone who was thought to resemble a pig in some way.
Alternatively, the surname may have originated from the German word "perch" meaning "stickleback" (a fish), and as such it was possibly a nickname for someone who dealt in fish. The earliest known reference to the surname is in the 13th century in the county of Sussex.