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

Perham, 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 Perham surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Perham in America

Perham is the 20937th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Perham surname appeared 1,258 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 Perham.

We can also compare 2010 data for Perham 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 Perham

The surname Perham is an English locational surname that originated from the village of Parham in Suffolk, England. The name itself is derived from the Old English words 'per' meaning pear tree and 'ham' meaning homestead or village, translating to 'the homestead by the pear trees'.

The earliest recorded spelling of the name Perham dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appeared as 'Perehame'. This suggests that the name was already established in England during the Norman Conquest.

In the 13th century, records show the name spelled as 'Pareham' and 'Pereham', reflecting the variations in spelling that were common during that time. The earliest known bearer of the name was William de Pereham, who was recorded in the Pipe Rolls of Norfolk in 1195.

The Perham family had a presence in various parts of England, including Norfolk, Suffolk, and Hertfordshire. One notable figure was Sir John Perham, a member of the landed gentry in Hertfordshire, who was born in 1520 and served as a Member of Parliament for the county in 1547.

Another prominent individual with the surname Perham was Robert Perham, a British clergyman and author who lived from 1674 to 1748. He is best known for his work 'The Moral and Religious Aphorisms of Dr. Whichcote', published in 1703.

In the 18th century, the name Perham was found in several parishes across England, including Parham in Suffolk, which was likely the original source of the surname. Records from this period show variations such as 'Pereham', 'Perrum', and 'Pairham'.

One notable bearer of the name in the 19th century was Caleb Perham, an American businessman and inventor who lived from 1804 to 1888. He is credited with developing the first successful machine for making paper bags.

Another individual of note was John Perham, a British artist and engraver who was born in 1789 and worked in London during the early 19th century. His works included engravings of notable buildings and landscapes.

The Perham surname has also been associated with several place names in England, such as Perham Down in Wiltshire and Perham Park in Hampshire, further reinforcing its locational origins.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Perham

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

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

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

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