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

Perreira, 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 Perreira surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Perreira in America

Perreira is the 12837th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Perreira surname appeared 2,398 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Perreira.

We can also compare 2010 data for Perreira 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 Perreira

The surname Perreira is of Portuguese origin, with its roots tracing back to the late medieval period. It is derived from the Portuguese word "pereiro," which refers to a pear tree or a place where pear trees grow abundantly.

One of the earliest recorded references to this surname can be found in the 14th-century records of the Portuguese monarchy, where a nobleman named Afonso Perreira is mentioned as a courtier during the reign of King Afonso IV.

The name's geographical origins are associated with the northern regions of Portugal, particularly the areas around Porto and Braga, where pear cultivation was prevalent in the Middle Ages.

In the 16th century, the name Perreira gained further prominence with the exploits of Pedro Álvares Perreira, a renowned Portuguese explorer and navigator who accompanied Vasco da Gama on his historic voyages to India. Perreira's contributions to these expeditions solidified the name's association with Portugal's Age of Discovery.

Another notable figure bearing this surname was João Perreira, a 17th-century Portuguese architect who played a significant role in the reconstruction efforts following the devastating earthquake that struck Lisbon in 1755. His architectural works, including the Basilica da Estrela, remain iconic landmarks in the city.

As the Portuguese Empire expanded across the globe, the Perreira surname traveled with colonists and settlers to various parts of the world. In Brazil, for instance, the name can be traced back to the early days of Portuguese colonization, with several prominent figures emerging throughout the country's history, such as José Perreira da Cunha, a 19th-century politician and journalist from the state of Minas Gerais.

Moving into the 20th century, the Perreira surname gained international recognition through the achievements of individuals like Armando Perreira, a renowned Portuguese footballer who played for Benfica and the national team in the 1950s and 1960s, and Luís Perreira, a contemporary Portuguese architect known for his innovative and sustainable designs.

While the surname Perreira has its roots firmly planted in Portugal, it has since spread across various continents, carried by individuals of Portuguese descent, and has become a part of the rich tapestry of global cultural heritage.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Perreira

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

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

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

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