2010
#133,863
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 126
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Perard
A surname potentially derived from an occupational name for someone who traveled on foot.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 128 Americans carry the last name Perard. That puts it at #147,954 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,677,768 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Perard surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
128
1 in 2,677,768
Census rank
#147,954
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
112
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 112 bearers of the surname Perard in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147954th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Perard, the largest self-reported group is Black at 66.1%. The next largest groups are White (13.4%) and Hispanic (12.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Perard
The surname Perard has its origins in France, with records dating back to the 11th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old French word "perré," which referred to a stone or rocky area. This suggests that the name may have originated as a descriptive surname for someone living near or on a rocky terrain.
One of the earliest known references to the name Perard can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of landowners and their holdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The book mentions a landowner named Radulfus Perard, who held estates in Hertfordshire.
During the Middle Ages, the name Perard appeared in various records and documents across different regions of France, often with slight variations in spelling, such as Perrard, Perrart, or Pérard. These variations were common due to the lack of standardized spelling conventions at the time.
In the 13th century, a prominent figure named Jean Perard was a renowned scholar and theologian at the University of Paris. He was widely respected for his contributions to the field of theology and his teachings influenced many students during that era.
Another notable individual with the Perard surname was Philippe Perard, a French artist who lived in the 16th century. He was known for his intricate woodcarvings and sculptures, which adorned many churches and cathedrals throughout France.
During the 17th century, the Perard name was associated with a village in the Normandy region of France called Pérard-le-Vieux. This village likely took its name from the Perard family, who may have been among the founding settlers or landowners in the area.
In the 18th century, a French military officer named Jacques Perard gained recognition for his bravery and leadership during the Seven Years' War. He rose through the ranks and was eventually awarded the prestigious title of Chevalier de l'Ordre Royal et Militaire de Saint-Louis.
Another notable figure was Élisabeth Perard, a French writer and poet who lived in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. She published several collections of poetry and was celebrated for her literary contributions during her lifetime.
Over the centuries, the Perard surname has spread beyond France, with descendants settling in various parts of the world, including North America, South America, and other European countries. However, the name's French origins and its connection to rocky or stone-like terrain remain a significant part of its historical legacy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Perard
Among Census respondents with the surname Perard, the largest self-reported group is Black at 66.1%. The next largest groups are White (13.4%) and Hispanic (12.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Perard bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Perard surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American66.1% · 74
- White13.4% · 15
- Hispanic or Latino12.5% · 14
- Two or more races6.3% · 7
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Perard
Perard appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#147,954
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
-14 bearers (-11.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 14,091 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #133,863 | 126 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #147,954 | 112 | 0.04 | -14 bearers (-11.1%) | Down 14,091 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Perard surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #133,863 | #147,954 | -10.5% |
| Count | 126 | 112 | -11.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -6.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Perard bearers went from 126 to 112 (-11.1% change). The surname moved down 14,091 positions in the national ranking, going from #133,863 to #147,954.
FAQ
Perard surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Perard?
Name Census estimates that about 128 living Americans carry the surname Perard. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,677,768 residents.
How common is Perard?
Perard ranks #147,954 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 112 people with the surname Perard. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (128), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Perard.
Has Perard become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Perard went from 126 recorded bearers to 112. That is a decrease of 14 (-11.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #133,863 to #147,954.
What does the Census say about the background of Perard?
Among Census respondents with the surname Perard, the largest self-reported group is Black at 66.1%. The next largest groups are White (13.4%) and Hispanic (12.5%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Perard in the 2020 Census, accounting for 66.1% (74 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Perard appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (66.1%), White (13.4%), Hispanic (12.5%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Perard (2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Perard mean?
A surname potentially derived from an occupational name for someone who traveled on foot. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Perard (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the surname Perard?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.