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

Perlas, 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 Perlas surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Perlas in America

Perlas is the 67519th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Perlas surname appeared 292 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 Perlas.

We can also compare 2010 data for Perlas 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 Perlas

The surname Perlas is of Spanish origin, derived from the Spanish word "perla," which means "pearl." It is believed to have originated in Spain during the medieval period, possibly as a surname given to someone who worked with pearls or lived near a location associated with pearls.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Perlas can be found in the Libro de las Behetrias de Castilla, a 14th-century document that listed the names of landowners and their properties in the region of Castile, Spain. The name Perlas appeared in this document, suggesting that it was already in use as a surname by that time.

In the 16th century, the surname Perlas can be found in various records from the Spanish territories in the Americas, indicating that individuals bearing this name had migrated to the New World during the colonial era. One notable example is Juan de Perlas, a Spanish explorer and conquistador who participated in the conquest of Guatemala in the 1520s.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the surname Perlas continued to be present in various regions of Spain, as well as in the Spanish colonies in the Americas. One notable individual with this surname was Francisco Perlas y Mendoza, a Spanish writer and historian who lived in the late 17th century and authored several works on the history of Spain.

In the 19th century, the surname Perlas can be found in records from various Spanish-speaking countries, including Mexico, Cuba, and Puerto Rico. One notable individual from this period was Manuel Perlas, a Cuban writer and poet who was born in 1833 and is known for his contributions to the Cuban literary movement.

Other notable individuals with the surname Perlas throughout history include Alejandro Perlas, a Mexican painter and muralist who lived in the early 20th century, and José Perlas, a Spanish politician and lawyer who served as a member of the Spanish Parliament in the 1930s.

While the surname Perlas is not as common as some other Spanish surnames, it has a rich history that spans several centuries and can be traced back to its origins in medieval Spain. The name's association with pearls and its presence in various regions of the Spanish-speaking world reflect the diverse cultural and historical influences that have shaped its legacy.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Perlas

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

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

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

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