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

Perlee, 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 Perlee surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Perlee in America

Perlee is the 127494th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Perlee surname appeared 134 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 Perlee.

We can also compare 2010 data for Perlee 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 Perlee

The surname PERLEE has its origins in France, with the earliest recorded instances dating back to the 12th century. The name is believed to derive from the Old French word "perlé," which means "adorned with pearls." This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with individuals who worked with or traded in pearls or other precious stones.

In the 13th century, records show the name PERLEE appearing in the region of Normandy, France. One notable mention is found in the Cartulaire de l'Abbaye de Fécamp, a medieval cartulary or collection of charters from the Abbey of Fécamp. This document contains references to individuals bearing the name PERLEE in relation to land transactions and other legal matters.

During the 14th century, the PERLEE name gained prominence in the city of Paris, with several members of the family holding influential positions within various guilds and trade organizations. One such individual was Jean PERLEE (born c. 1320), a respected merchant and member of the Merchant's Guild.

In the 15th century, the PERLEE family expanded their reach beyond France, with some branches settling in the neighboring regions of the Low Countries (present-day Belgium and the Netherlands). Records from this period mention Jehan PERLEE (c. 1435-1501), a skilled jeweler and goldsmith who worked for the Burgundian court.

By the 16th century, the PERLEE name had spread across Europe, with notable individuals appearing in various records. One such example is Pierre PERLEE (c. 1525-1592), a French Protestant scholar and theologian who was influential in the Reformation movement.

In the 17th century, the PERLEE family continued to establish themselves in various parts of Europe, with some members achieving notable status. One such individual was Jacob PERLEE (1634-1692), a Dutch merchant and explorer who was among the first Europeans to establish trade relations with Japan.

As the PERLEE name spread across different regions, variations in spelling emerged, including Perlée, Perlé, and Perlay. However, the core meaning and association with pearls and precious stones remained consistent throughout the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Perlee

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

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

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

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