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

Pericles, 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 Pericles surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Pericles in America

Pericles is the 54752nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Pericles surname appeared 376 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 Pericles.

We can also compare 2010 data for Pericles 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 Pericles

The surname PERICLES originated from the ancient Greek name Περικλῆς (Periklēs), meaning "surrounded by glory" or "encompassing glory". It can be traced back to classical Athens in the 5th century BC.

The name is derived from the Greek words "peri" meaning "around" and "kleos" meaning "glory". It was a prominent name among the noble families of Athens during the Golden Age of ancient Greece.

One of the most famous historical figures bearing this name was Pericles (c. 495–429 BC), an Athenian statesman and general who led Athens during the Peloponnesian War. He was a prominent figure in the development of Athenian democracy and oversaw the construction of the Parthenon and other iconic structures of ancient Greece.

The surname PERICLES appears in various ancient Greek texts and records, including the works of historians like Thucydides and Plutarch, who documented the life and achievements of the famous Pericles.

Beyond the famous Athenian leader, other notable individuals with the surname PERICLES include Pericles of Lindos (4th century BC), a Greek historian and philosopher from the island of Rhodes, and Pericles of Ephesus (2nd century AD), a Greek philosopher and writer.

In later centuries, the name PERICLES continued to be used, albeit less frequently, among Greek communities. One notable bearer of the name was Pericles Ghettis (1836–1911), a Greek academic and politician who served as the mayor of Athens from 1899 to 1901.

While the surname PERICLES is relatively uncommon today, it remains a testament to the rich cultural heritage of ancient Greece and the enduring legacy of one of its most influential statesmen.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Pericles

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

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

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

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