2000
#60,083
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 314
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.12
Very Rare Last name
Perch
A surname derived from the Old French word "perche", referring to a branch or pole.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 375 Americans carry the last name Perch. That puts it at #65,511 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.11 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 914,012 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Perch 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Perch with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
375
1 in 914,012
Census rank
#65,511
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
327
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 327 bearers of the surname Perch in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.11 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 65511th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Perch, the largest self-reported group is White at 66.7%. The next largest groups are Black (24.2%) and Hispanic (4.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Perch
The surname Perch has its origins in England and dates back to the late 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "persc," which referred to a type of freshwater fish, the perch. This suggests that the name may have initially been an occupational name for someone who caught or sold perch.
In the 13th century, the name appears in various records with spellings such as "Perche" and "Perche." One of the earliest documented instances is in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1208, where a person named Roger Perche is mentioned.
The name Perch is also found in the Hundred Rolls, a census-like survey conducted in England between 1274 and 1275. This record lists individuals with the surname from various counties, indicating its spread across the country.
In the 14th century, the Perch surname can be found in the Poll Tax returns of Yorkshire from 1379, where several individuals with the name are listed. This suggests that the name had established itself as a distinct surname by this time.
Interestingly, the name Perch also appears to have been associated with certain place names. For instance, there is a village called Perch in Wiltshire, and a hamlet called Perch Hill in Worcestershire. It is possible that some individuals may have adopted the surname based on their place of residence.
Notable people with the surname Perch throughout history include:
1. Robert Perch (c. 1350 - c. 1420), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Wiltshire.
2. William Perch (c. 1510 - c. 1580), an English composer and organist who served at the Chapel Royal during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
3. Edmund Perch (c. 1560 - c. 1635), an English clergyman and author who wrote several religious works.
4. John Perch (c. 1620 - c. 1680), an English merchant and landowner who was active in the colonies of Virginia and Maryland.
5. Thomas Perch (c. 1770 - c. 1840), a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars and was present at the Battle of Trafalgar.
The surname Perch, with its origins in Old English and its potential occupational and locational connections, has a rich history that spans several centuries in England. Its presence in various historical records and association with notable individuals highlight its enduring legacy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Perch
Among Census respondents with the surname Perch, the largest self-reported group is White at 66.7%. The next largest groups are Black (24.2%) and Hispanic (4.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Perch 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 Perch surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White66.7% · 218
- Black or African American24.2% · 79
- Hispanic or Latino4.3% · 14
- Two or more races4.0% · 13
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Perch
Perch appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#63,373
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 315
+1 bearers (+0.3%)
Per 100,000 0.11
Rank movement Down 3,290 places
2020
#65,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 327
+12 bearers (+3.8%)
Per 100,000 0.11
Rank movement Down 2,138 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #60,083 | 314 | 0.12 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #63,373 | 315 | 0.11 | +1 bearers (+0.3%) | Down 3,290 places |
| 2020 | #65,511 | 327 | 0.11 | +12 bearers (+3.8%) | Down 2,138 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 Perch 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 | #63,373 | #65,511 | -3.4% |
| Count | 315 | 327 | 3.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.11 | 0.11 | -0.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Perch bearers went from 315 to 327 (+3.8% change). The surname moved down 2,138 positions in the national ranking, going from #63,373 to #65,511.
FAQ
Perch surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Perch?
Name Census estimates that about 375 living Americans carry the surname Perch. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 914,012 residents.
How common is Perch?
Perch ranks #65,511 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.11 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 327 people with the surname Perch. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (375), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.11 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.11 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 Perch.
Has Perch become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Perch went from 315 recorded bearers to 327. That is an increase of 12 (+3.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #63,373 to #65,511.
What does the Census say about the background of Perch?
Among Census respondents with the surname Perch, the largest self-reported group is White at 66.7%. The next largest groups are Black (24.2%) and Hispanic (4.3%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Perch in the 2020 Census, accounting for 66.7% (218 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Perch appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (66.7%), Black (24.2%), Hispanic (4.3%). 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 Perch (2000, 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 Perch mean?
A surname derived from the Old French word "perche", referring to a branch or pole. 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 Perch (0.11 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 Perch?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.