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

Perpignan, 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 Perpignan surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Perpignan in America

Perpignan is the 126018th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Perpignan surname appeared 136 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 Perpignan.

The history of the last name Perpignan

The surname Perpignan originated in the Languedoc-Roussillon region of southern France, near the city of Perpignan. It is believed to have derived from the ancient Roman name Perpinianum, which referred to the settlement that later became the city of Perpignan. The name is thought to come from the Latin words "petra" meaning rock and "pinna" meaning peak or promontory, likely describing the rocky, hilly terrain of the area.

Perpignan first appears in records as a place name in the 10th century, during the reign of the Counts of Roussillon. The earliest known bearer of the surname Perpignan was a nobleman named Arnaud de Perpignan, who lived in the late 12th century and served as a knight under the Counts of Roussillon.

In the 13th century, the surname Perpignan is mentioned in several legal and ecclesiastical documents from the region, including the cartularies of local monasteries and the records of the Inquisition. One notable figure from this period was Raimond de Perpignan, a Franciscan friar and theologian who served as the bishop of Valencia from 1233 to 1245.

During the medieval period, the name Perpignan was also associated with several notable Jewish scholars and rabbis from the city of Perpignan, which had a thriving Jewish community. One of the most prominent was Levi ben Gershon (1288-1344), a renowned philosopher, mathematician, and biblical commentator known as the Ralbag.

In the 15th century, the surname Perpignan gained additional prominence when the city of Perpignan became part of the Kingdom of Aragon. One notable figure from this era was Juan de Perpignan, a Catalan diplomat and ambassador who served at the court of King Alfonso V of Aragon in the mid-1400s.

Over the centuries, the surname Perpignan spread throughout France and other parts of Europe, with variations in spelling such as Perpignan, Perpigna, and Perpignan. In the 17th century, a branch of the family settled in the Netherlands, where the name was recorded as Perpignan or Perpignano. One notable bearer from this line was Pieter Perpignan (1622-1687), a Dutch painter and etcher known for his landscapes and cityscapes.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Perpignan

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

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 Perpignan 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.

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

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

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