Find out how popular the last name Perets is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Perets.

Perets, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Perets surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Perets in America

Perets is the 112568th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Perets surname appeared 156 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Perets.

The history of the last name Perets

The surname PERETS has its origins in the Russian Empire, with roots tracing back to the 16th century. The name likely derived from the Russian word "Perets," meaning "pepper," possibly referring to an occupation associated with the spice trade or a physical characteristic akin to the reddish hue of pepper.

Early records of the PERETS surname appear in documents and manuscripts from the regions of modern-day Ukraine and Belarus, which were part of the Russian Empire during that era. Variations in spelling, such as "Peretz" and "Perec," were common due to regional dialects and transcription differences.

One of the earliest known references to the PERETS name can be found in a census record from the town of Zhytomyr, Ukraine, dated 1594, which lists a merchant named Yakov PERETS. This suggests the name had already established itself in the region by the late 16th century.

In the 18th century, the PERETS surname gained prominence with the birth of Yitzhak Leybush PERETS (1736-1805), a renowned Hebrew poet and scholar from the town of Zamosc, Poland (then part of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth). His works, including the influential "Megillat Hakhmah" (Scroll of Wisdom), made significant contributions to the Jewish literary tradition.

Another notable figure was Sholem Aleichem (1859-1916), whose birth name was Sholem Naumovich PERETS. He was a celebrated Yiddish author and playwright, best known for his humorous and poignant depictions of Jewish life in pre-revolutionary Russia. His works, such as "Tevye the Dairyman," have had a lasting impact on Jewish culture and literature.

In the 20th century, Isaac Bashevis SINGER (1902-1991), a Polish-born American writer and Nobel laureate, carried the PERETS surname through his mother's lineage. His novels and short stories, which explored Jewish traditions and the human condition, earned him widespread acclaim, including the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1978.

The PERETS name has also been associated with notable figures in other fields, such as Moshe PERETS (1905-1985), an Israeli military leader and politician who served as the third Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces and later as a member of the Knesset.

Overall, the surname PERETS has a rich history rooted in Eastern European Jewish communities, with notable individuals bearing the name contributing significantly to literature, academia, and public service over several centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Perets

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Perets.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Perets was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Perets was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Perets, please contact us.

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