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

Perks, 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 Perks surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Perks in America

Perks is the 20884th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Perks surname appeared 1,262 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 Perks.

We can also compare 2010 data for Perks 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 Perks

The surname Perks originated in England during the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "perk," which meant a small enclosed area or a piece of land. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived or worked on a small plot of land.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Perks can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landholdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. This suggests that the name was already in use by the late 11th century.

During the Middle Ages, the name Perks was particularly prevalent in the counties of Gloucestershire, Worcestershire, and Warwickshire. It is likely that the name originated in one of these areas before spreading to other parts of the country.

In medieval records, the name was sometimes spelled in various ways, such as "Perk," "Perke," or "Perkys," reflecting the fluid nature of spelling conventions at the time.

One notable individual with the surname Perks was Sir William Perks (1566-1625), who was an English lawyer and politician. He served as a Member of Parliament for Worcestershire during the reign of King James I.

Another significant figure was Robert Perks (1647-1718), who was a renowned English architect and surveyor. He is best known for his work on the construction of St. Paul's Cathedral in London, under the direction of Sir Christopher Wren.

In the 18th century, John Perks (1735-1808) was a prominent English Baptist minister and author. He wrote several influential works on religious topics and served as the pastor of various churches in the West Midlands region.

The 19th century saw the rise of Samuel Perks (1833-1912), a successful industrialist and philanthropist. He founded the Perks & Sons engineering company and was actively involved in various charitable initiatives in Birmingham.

More recently, Sir Michael Perks (1918-2003) was a distinguished British businessman and public servant. He served as the Chairman of the British Steel Corporation and was knighted for his contributions to the steel industry.

Overall, the surname Perks has a long and rich history in England, with its origins dating back to the medieval period. Throughout the centuries, individuals with this name have made significant contributions in various fields, including law, architecture, religion, industry, and public service.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Perks

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

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

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

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