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

Peretz, 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 Peretz surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Peretz in America

Peretz is the 34073rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Peretz surname appeared 667 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 Peretz.

We can also compare 2010 data for Peretz to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Peretz

The surname Peretz is of Ashkenazi Jewish origin, derived from the Hebrew name Peretz, meaning "to break through" or "breaker." It is believed to have originated in Eastern Europe, particularly in areas such as Poland, Ukraine, and Russia, where significant Ashkenazi Jewish communities existed.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Peretz can be traced back to the 16th and 17th centuries in various historical documents and records, such as community registries and tax records. However, the name's roots can be traced back even further to biblical times, as it is mentioned in the Book of Genesis as the name of one of the sons of Judah and Tamar.

One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Peretz was Rabbi Isaac Peretz, a prominent Talmudic scholar who lived in the 16th century in Cracow, Poland. Another notable figure was Rabbi Yom Tov Lipmann Peretz, a 17th-century German rabbi and author of the famous work "Ma'aseh Tov" (The Good Deed).

In the 19th century, the Peretz surname gained further prominence with the birth of Isaac Leib Peretz (1852-1915), a renowned Yiddish writer and author who is often referred to as the "father of Yiddish literature." His works, such as "Monish" and "Bontshe the Silent," are considered classics of Yiddish literature and have significantly influenced Jewish culture and literature.

Another notable figure with the Peretz surname was Dov Peretz (1905-1987), an Israeli politician and one of the signatories of the Israeli Declaration of Independence in 1948. He served as a member of the Knesset (Israeli parliament) for several terms and was a prominent figure in the Labor Zionist movement.

In the realm of music, Itzik Peretz (1933-2011) was a renowned Israeli singer and composer who contributed significantly to the development of Israeli folk music. His songs, such as "Yerushalayim Shel Zahav" (Jerusalem of Gold), became iconic anthems for the nation.

While the Peretz surname is primarily associated with Ashkenazi Jewish communities, it has also been adopted by individuals from other backgrounds, particularly in areas where Jewish communities have lived for generations. The name has undergone various spelling variations over time, including Perez, Peres, and Paretz, among others.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Peretz

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

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 Peretz 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.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Peretz has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

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 Peretz was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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