Perry (surname)
| Origin | |
|---|---|
| Language(s) | Old English & Welsh |
| Meaning | One who dwells by a pear tree (Geographical); quarryman (English) Son of Harry (Welsh) |
| Region of origin | England & Wales |
Perry is a surname with several distinct origins. In England, deriving from the Old English pyrige (pear tree), referring to one who dwells by a pear tree,[1] while in Wales Perry, along with Parry, arose as patronymics, via a shortening of "ap Harry" (son of Harry). There are some variants in the Romance or Romantic languages (derived from the Latin):[clarification needed] Pereira, Pereyra, Pereyro, Pereiro, Pereiros, Pereire, Perera, Perer, Perero, Pereros;[2] the Norman French perrieur (quarry), possibly referring to a quarryman.[2] Perry was recorded as a surname from the late 16th century in villages near Colchester, Essex, East England, such as Lexden and Copford.[3] Perry has some resemblance with the Portuguese common surname Pereira, which means pear tree in the Portuguese language. Because of that, many Portuguese immigrants to the USA (especially Massachusetts and the San Francisco Bay Area) chose to "Americanize" their Pereira surname to Perry. The Italian surname, Perri, related to "Peter", is also often Americanized to Perry.
Geographical distribution[]
United Kingdom, Empire, and Dependencies[]
At the time of the United Kingdom Census of 1881, the frequency of the surname Perry was highest in the following counties:[4]
- 1. Somerset (1: 312)
- 2. Essex (1: 347)
- 3. Staffordshire (1: 396)
- 4. Rutland (1: 405)
- 5. Worcestershire (1: 458)
- 6. Hertfordshire (1: 576)
- 7. Bedfordshire (1: 676)
- 8. Shropshire (1: 698)
- 9. Cornwall (1: 699)
- 10. Devon (1: 746)
As of 2014, the frequency of the surname was highest in the following countries and territories:[4]
- 1. Guernsey (1: 1,147)
- 2. French Polynesia (1: 1,231)
- 3. Wales (1: 1,277)
- 4. United States (1: 1,332)
- 5. Bermuda (1: 1,367)
- 6. Jamaica (1: 1,538)
- 7. Isle of Man (1: 1,564)
- 8. Israel (1: 1,572)
- 9. New Zealand (1: 1,588)
- 10. Liberia (1: 1,597)
United States and Territories[]
As of 2014, 67.0% of all known bearers of the surname Perry were residents of the United States. The frequency of the surname was higher than national average in the following U.S. states:
- 1. Rhode Island (1: 563)
- 2. Maine (1: 652)
- 3. Vermont (1: 658)
- 4. West Virginia (1: 660)
- 5. North Carolina (1: 699)
- 6. Tennessee (1: 715)
- 7. Kentucky (1: 797)
- 8. Massachusetts (1: 801)
- 9. New Hampshire (1: 828)
- 10. Alabama (1: 857)
- 11. Mississippi (1: 961)
- 12. South Carolina (1: 1,003)
- 13. Arkansas (1: 1,025)
- 14. Virginia (1: 1,040)
- 15. Louisiana (1: 1,076)
- 16. Oklahoma (1: 1,081)
- 17. Utah (1: 1,107)
- 18. D.C. (1: 1,116)
- 19. Georgia (1: 1,153)
- 20. Indiana (1: 1,169)
- 21. Ohio (1: 1,190)
- 22. Michigan (1: 1,215)
- 23. Connecticut (1: 1,235)
- 24. Maryland (1: 1,243)
- 25. Idaho (1: 1,302)
- 26. Alabama (1: 1,321)
The frequency of the surname was highest (over 10 times the national average) in the following U.S. counties:
- 1. McCreary County, Ky. (1: 49)
- 2. Slope County, N.D. (1: 59)
- 3. Bertie County, N.C. (1: 61)
- 4. Franklin County, N.C. (1: 88)
- 5. Chowan County, N.C. (1: 102)
- 6. Daggett County, Utah (1: 105)
- 7. Warren County, N.C. (1: 106)
- 8. Morgan County, Ky. (1: 112)
- 9. Wheatland County, Mont. (1: 112)
- 10. Vance County, N.C. (1: 115)
- 11. Wolfe County, Ky. (1: 119)
- 12. Nash County, N.C. (1: 124)
- 13. Hertford County, N.C. (1: 129)
- 14. Brown County, Ill. (1: 129)
- 15. Washington County, Colo. (1: 130)
People[]
- Adam Perry (disambiguation), multiple people
- Adam Perry (drummer) (born 1969), known professionally as "The Yin", member of the bands A and Bloodhound Gang
- Adam Perry (rugby league) (born 1979), Australian rugby player
- Alf Perry, English golfer
- Alfred Perry, co-founder of the Douglas Hospital in Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Andre Perry, member of the American rock band The Lonelyhearts
- Andrew Perry (disambiguation), multiple people
- Anne Perry (born 1938), English author
- Antoinette Perry (1888–1946), American actress and director; founder American Theatre Wing, annual Antoinette Perry Awards, Tony Awards
- Aylesworth Perry (1860–1956), the sixth and longest-serving Commissioner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police
- Barbara Perry (1923–2019), also singer and dancer
- Bob J. Perry (1932–2013), American homebuilder and major political contributor
- Bonnie Perry, American Anglican bishop in Michigan
- Bradley Steven Perry, American actor known for playing Gabe Duncan on the Disney Channel Original Series Good Luck Charlie
- Brianna Perry, American female rapper
- Caitríona Perry, Irish television journalist and newsreader
- Carlotta Perry (1839/48 – 1914), American writer, poet
- Catherine D. Perry (born 1952) U.S. judge
- Catherine Joy Perry (born 1985), professional name Lana, American model and professional wrestling figure (valet and wrestler)
- Charles Perry (Texas politician), CPA and Texas state legislator
- Charlie Perry (footballer, born 1866) (died 1927), English
- Charlie Perry (Australian rules footballer) (1888–1961), also Methodist minister and son of Isaiah Perry
- Chris Perry (disambiguation), multiple people
- Clark M. Perry, American politician
- Corey Perry, Canadian hockey player
- Darren Perry (born 1968), American football player and NFL coach
- Dave Perry, English game show co-commentator
- David Perry (disambiguation), multiple people
- Dayn Perry (born 1972), American sportswriter
- Dewayne E. Perry, American engineer
- Edmund Perry, 1985 murder victim
- Edward Perry (industrialist) (1800–1869), English tinplate works master and twice Mayor of Wolverhampton
- Edward A. Perry, governor of Florida
- Eleanor Perry (née Rosenfeld, 1914 – 1981), screenwriter and author
- Elliott Perry (1884–1972), American philatelist
- Ellyse Perry, Australian cricketer and footballer
- Elwood L. Perry (1915–2005), American expert on freshwater fishing
- Enoch Wood Perry, Jr. (1831–1915), American artist
- Frank Perry (1930–1995), American film director
- Fred Perry (disambiguation), multiple people
- Fred Perry (1909–1995), British tennis player
- Gaylord Perry (born 1938), American baseball player
- Geoffrey Perry (1927–2000), English physics teacher and amateur astronomer
- George Perry (disambiguation), multiple people
- George Sessions Perry (1910–1956), American novelist
- Glenn Perry, Australian writer
- Grayson Perry, English artist
- Guy Perry, American actor
- Hal Perry (basketball) (1933–2009), American
- Hal Perry (politician), Canadian
- Isaiah Perry (1854–1911), Methodist minister is South Australia, father of engineer Frank Perry and footballer Charlie Perry
- Ivor Perry (born 1904), Welsh footballer
- James Perry (disambiguation), multiple people
- Jason Perry (disambiguation), multiple people
- Jeff Perry (American actor) (born 1955)
- Jim Perry (baseball) (born 1935), from America; brother of Gaylord Perry
- Jim Perry (television personality), Canadian-American television personality (stage name)
- Jimmy Perry (1923–2016), English scriptwriter
- Joe Perry (American football) (born 1927), American footballer
- Joe Perry (musician) (born 1950), American guitarist of the rock band Aerosmith (Americanized form of Pereira)
- Joe Perry (snooker player) (born 1974), from England
- John Perry (musician) (born 1952), English guitarist and writer
- John Bennett Perry (born 1973), American actor and former model
- Jonathan Perry (disambiguation), multiple people
- Jonathan Perry (Louisiana politician) (born 1973), attorney and state legislator
- Josephine Perry (1881–1943), American politician
- Juan Perry, Peruvian congressman
- Katherine Perry (1897–1983), American stage and film actress.
- Katie Perry (born 1980), Australian fashion designer
- Katy Perry (born 1984), originally named Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson, American pop singer
- Kenny Perry (born 1960), American golfer
- Kimberly Perry (born 1983), American musician, lead vocalist of The Band Perry
- Kyle Perry (born 1986), English footballer
- L. Glenn Perry (1944–1998), Chief Accountant of the SEC
- L. Tom Perry (1922–2015), an Apostle in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
- Lee "Scratch" Perry (1936–2021), Jamaican reggae producer
- Lincoln Perry, birth name of Stepin Fetchit (1902–1985), American comedian and actor
- Linda Perry, American singer, songwriter and record producer (Americanized form of Pereira)
- Lorinda Perry (1884–1951), American economist, professor, lawyer
- Luke Perry (1966–2019), American actor
- Madison S. Perry, governor of Florida
- Malcolm Perry (disambiguation), multiple people
- Mark Perry (disambiguation), multiple people
- Mario Perry, American football player
- Mary Perry Smith (1926–2015), American mathematics educator
- Matthew Perry (disambiguation), multiple people
- Matthew Perry (born 1969), Canadian-American television and film actor
- Matthew C. Perry (1794–1858), American naval officer
- Matt Perry (rugby player) (born 1977), English rugby union footballer
- Michael Perry (disambiguation), multiple people
- Michael Perry (hymnwriter) (1942–1996), English hymnwriter
- Michael Perry (footballer) (born 1944), Australian rules
- Neil Perry, American musician, member of The Band Perry
- Nora Perry (writer) (1831–1896), American poet, journalist
- Niamh Perry (born 1990), Northern Irish singer
- N'Kosi Perry (born 1998), American football player
- Oliver Hazard Perry (1785–1819), American naval officer
- Paul Perry (disambiguation), several people
- Pete Perry (basketball) (born 1948), American
- Pete Perry (born 1969), American activist
- Phil Perry, musician
- Philippa Perry (born 1957), English psychotherapist and author
- Ralph Barton Perry (1876–1957), American philosopher and educator
- Reid Perry, American musician, member of The Band Perry
- Reggie Perry (basketball) (born 2000), American basketball player
- Rick Perry (born 1950), U.S. Secretary of Energy (2017–2019)
- Robert H Perry, yacht designer
- Roland Hinton Perry, American artist
- Ross Perry, Scottish footballer
- S. D. Perry (born 1970), American novelist
- Samuel Augustus Perry (1787–1854) English born soldier and surveyor.
- Samuel Marshall Perry (1836–1898), Los Angeles city councilman and county supervisor
- Samuel Victor Perry (1918–2009), British biochemist and rugby player
- Scott Perry (disambiguation), multiple people
- Seamus Perry, British academic and writer
- Shane Perry, Australian rugby league player
- Shaun Perry, Bristol and England rugby union player
- Shenay Perry, American tennis player
- Stephen Perry (inventor), British inventor of the rubber band
- Stephen Joseph Perry (1833–1889), Jesuit priest, astronomer
- Steve Perry (author)
- Steve Perry (musician), lead singer of the American rock band Journey (Americanized form of Pereira)
- Steve Perry (Oregon musician), from the band Cherry Poppin' Daddies
- Suzi Perry (born 1970), English television presenter
- Todd Perry (American football) (born 1970), NFL player
- Todd Perry (ice hockey) (born 1986), Canadian
- Todd Perry (tennis) (born 1976), Australian
- Tyler Perry (born 1969), American actor, playwright, and director
- Walter Perry (1921–2003), Scottish academic and scientist, VC of the Open University
- Walter Perry (1868–1928), English footballer, mostly for Burton Swifts
- Walter Copland Perry (1814–1911), British author, classicist and barrister
- Whitall Perry (1920–2005), American writer
- William Perry (disambiguation), multiple people
See also[]
- Perry (given name)
- Perry (disambiguation)
- Pereira (surname)
- Perri (disambiguation)
References[]
- ^ "Perry Meaning and Distribution". forebears.co.uk. Retrieved 25 January 2014
- ^ a b "Perry". Genealogy. About.com. Retrieved 30 May 2017.
- ^ "Perry". The Select Surnames Website. Retrieved 30 May 2017.
- ^ a b "Perry Surname Meaning, Origins & Distribution". forebears.co.uk. Retrieved 30 May 2017.
This page lists people with the surname Perry.
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If an 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.
Categories:
- Surnames
- Americanized surnames
- Surnames of English origin