2000
#29
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 488,521
First available Census row
Per 100,000 181.09
Very Common Last name
Perez
A Spanish patronymic surname meaning "son of Pedro" or "son of Peter."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 780,590 Americans carry the last name Perez. That puts it at #21 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 227.74 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 439 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Perez 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 Perez with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
781K
1 in 439
Census rank
#21
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
227.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
681K
very common in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 680,712 bearers of the surname Perez in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 227.74 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 21st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Perez, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 92.2%. The next largest groups are White (5.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Perez
The surname Perez originated in Spain and is derived from the Latin name Petrus, meaning "rock" or "stone". It is a patronymic surname, indicating "son of Peter".
The earliest recorded use of the surname Perez dates back to the 11th century in the regions of Castile and Aragon. It was commonly used among Spanish Jews and Moors during the Middle Ages.
One of the earliest known references to the surname Perez can be found in the 13th-century work "Primera Crónica General" by Alfonso X, the King of Castile and León. This chronicle mentions several individuals with the surname Perez.
In the 14th century, the name appeared in various records and manuscripts, such as the "Libro de la Montería" (Book of the Hunt) commissioned by King Alfonso XI of Castile. This book listed several individuals with the surname Perez who were involved in hunting expeditions.
One of the earliest known bearers of the surname Perez was Gonzalo Perez, a 14th-century Spanish nobleman and military leader who served under King Alfonso XI during the Reconquista.
Another notable figure with the surname Perez was Pedro Perez, a 15th-century Spanish poet and playwright who was part of the literary movement known as the "Cancionero" in Castile.
During the 16th century, the surname Perez gained prominence with individuals like Antonio Perez (1540-1611), a Spanish statesman and secretary to King Philip II. He played a significant role in the Aragonese Revolt against the Spanish monarchy.
In the 17th century, Juan Perez de Montalban (1602-1638), a Spanish novelist, poet, and playwright, became one of the most renowned figures with the surname Perez. He was a prominent figure of the Spanish Golden Age of literature.
Another notable individual was José Perez de Rubí (1760-1847), a Spanish military officer and statesman who served as the Prime Minister of Spain from 1847 to 1848.
As the surname Perez spread across the Spanish-speaking world, it became associated with various place names and older spellings, such as Perez de la Frontera and Perez de Arroyo.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Perez
Among Census respondents with the surname Perez, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 92.2%. The next largest groups are White (5.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Perez 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 Perez surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino92.2% · 627,672
- White5.2% · 35,730
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.4% · 9,325
- Black or African American0.6% · 3,825
- Two or more races0.4% · 2,570
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 1,590
Timeline
Historical Census data for Perez
Perez 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
#22
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 681,645
+193,124 bearers (+39.5%)
Per 100,000 231.08
Rank movement Up 7 places
2020
#21
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 680,712
-933 bearers (-0.1%)
Per 100,000 227.74
Rank movement Up 1 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #29 | 488,521 | 181.09 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #22 | 681,645 | 231.08 | +193,124 bearers (+39.5%) | Up 7 places |
| 2020 | #21 | 680,712 | 227.74 | -933 bearers (-0.1%) | Up 1 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 Perez 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 | #22 | #21 | 4.5% |
| Count | 681,645 | 680,712 | -0.1% |
| Per 100K | 231.08 | 227.74 | -1.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Perez bearers went from 681,645 to 680,712 (-0.1% change). The surname moved up 1 positions in the national ranking, going from #22 to #21.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Perez
FAQ
Perez surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Perez?
Name Census estimates that about 780,590 living Americans carry the surname Perez. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 439 residents.
How common is Perez?
Perez ranks #21 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Common." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 227.74 per 100,000 residents, which is about 228 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 680,712 people with the surname Perez. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (780,590), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 227.74 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 227.74 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 228 of them to have the surname Perez.
Has Perez become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Perez went from 681,645 recorded bearers to 680,712. That is a decrease of 933 (-0.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #22 to #21.
What does the Census say about the background of Perez?
Among Census respondents with the surname Perez, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 92.2%. The next largest groups are White (5.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.4%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Perez in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.2% (627,672 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Perez appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (92.2%), White (5.2%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.4%). 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 Perez (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 Perez mean?
A Spanish patronymic surname meaning "son of Pedro" or "son of Peter." 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 Perez (227.74 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 Perez?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.