Perez
"Perez" is a masculine given name of Hebrew origin meaning "peasant, farmer".
Name Census estimates that about 554 living Americans carry the first name Perez. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Perez today is around 34 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Perez births was 1991 (23 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Perez. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
554
~ 1 in 618,690 Americans
Peak year
1991
23 babies that year
Average age
34
years old
2024 SSA rank
#9,623
Tracked since 1954
Popularity
Perez: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Perez from the 1950s through to the 2020s, spanning 8 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 122 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1990s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Perez by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Perez during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Perez' live
The SSA's state-level files cover 3 states and territories. Alabama, Georgia, Ohio recorded the most babies named Perez, while Ohio, Georgia, Alabama recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 5 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Perez
The name Perez is of Spanish origin, derived from the Hebrew name "Perets," which means "breach" or "break." It has been in use since ancient times and is found in various religious and historical texts.
The earliest recorded instance of the name appears in the Bible, where it is mentioned as the name of one of the sons of Judah and Tamar. In the Book of Genesis, Perez is described as one of the twins born to Tamar, and his birth is described as a "breach," hence the origin of the name.
Throughout history, there have been several notable figures who bore the name Perez. One of the earliest was Perez ben Elijah, a Jewish scholar who lived in the 13th century and authored several works on Jewish law and philosophy.
Another notable figure was Antonio Perez (1540-1611), a Spanish statesman and writer who served as the secretary of state under King Philip II of Spain. He played a significant role in the political intrigues of the Spanish court during the 16th century.
In the realm of art, Perez de Guzman (1376-1460) was a Spanish poet and historian who is considered one of the founders of Spanish literary prose. His work "Generaciones y Semblanzas" is a notable historical account of the lives of prominent figures in 15th-century Spain.
The name Perez also has a musical legacy, with Perez Prado (1916-1989) being a renowned Cuban musician and bandleader who popularized the mambo dance craze in the 1950s. His hit song "Mambo No. 5" became a cultural phenomenon and is still widely recognized today.
In more recent times, Perez Hilton (born in 1978) is a famous American blogger and television personality known for his celebrity gossip website and his appearances on various reality shows.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals who have carried the name Perez throughout history, showcasing its versatility and enduring presence across various cultures and disciplines.
People
Perez + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Perez as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with P
Other first names starting with P with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Perez: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Perez?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 554 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Perez going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 618,690 US residents.
Is Perez a common name?
We classify Perez as "Very Rare". It ranks above 85.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 584 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Perez most popular?
The single biggest year for Perez was 1991, when 23 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Perez is about 34 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Perez a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Perez in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.