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

Perri, 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 Perri surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Perri in America

Perri is the 7413th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Perri surname appeared 4,491 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Perri.

We can also compare 2010 data for Perri 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 Perri

The surname PERRI has its origins in Italy, with historical records dating back to the 12th century. The name is believed to have derived from the Italian word "pera," meaning "pear," suggesting that the name may have been initially given as a nickname to someone who either cultivated or sold pears.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Codice Diplomatico Barese, a collection of medieval documents from the Italian city of Bari, where a certain Guglielmo Perri is mentioned in a document dated 1192.

In the 14th century, the name appears in the historical records of the city of Siena, where a family of notaries and public officials bore the name Perri. One notable member was Niccolò di Cecco Perri, a notary and chancellor of the Republic of Siena, who lived between 1320 and 1390.

During the Renaissance period, the name Perri gained prominence in the Italian city-states. In Florence, a family of bankers and merchants known as the Perri were influential in the city's economic and political life. One of the most notable members was Gherardo Perri, a wealthy banker who lived from 1440 to 1512.

The name also appears in various historical records from other parts of Italy, such as the Neapolitan kingdom, where a noble family by the name of Perri held estates and titles. One notable figure from this family was Giambattista Perri, a military commander who fought in the Wars of the Grand Alliance against the Ottoman Empire in the late 17th century (1654-1720).

In the 19th century, the name Perri was associated with several Italian intellectuals and artists. Giuseppe Perri (1817-1892) was a renowned painter and sculptor from Naples, known for his works depicting historical and religious themes. Another notable figure was Vittorio Perri (1824-1889), an Italian politician and journalist who played a significant role in the Risorgimento, the movement for Italian unification.

As the surname spread throughout Italy and beyond, it took on various spellings and variations, such as Perri, Peri, Pero, and Perrini. However, the core meaning and origin remained tied to the Italian word "pera" and its association with the pear fruit.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Perri

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

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

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

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