2000
#2,948
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,222
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.16
Uncommon Last name
Perrin
A French topographic surname for someone who lived near a stony place, derived from Old French "pierre" meaning "stone."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 12,469 Americans carry the last name Perrin. That puts it at #3,237 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.64 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 27,489 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Perrin surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Perrin with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
12K
1 in 27,489
Census rank
#3,237
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
11K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 10,874 bearers of the surname Perrin in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.64 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3237th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Perrin, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.3%. The next largest groups are Black (14.1%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Perrin
The surname Perrin has its origins in France, tracing back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old French word "perrin," which means a small rock or pebble. This name was likely given as a nickname to someone who lived near a rocky area or had a connection with stone quarrying or masonry.
The earliest recorded mention of the Perrin surname can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Perin" in the records for Hertfordshire, England. This suggests that the name may have been introduced to England by Norman settlers after the conquest in 1066.
During the Middle Ages, the name appeared in various spellings such as Perrin, Perren, and Perron. These variations were common due to the inconsistencies in record-keeping and regional dialects at the time. The name was particularly prevalent in the Normandy region of France and parts of England, where many Perrin families established themselves.
One notable early bearer of the Perrin name was Jacques Perrin (c. 1490-1554), a French Protestant reformer and theologian. He was a prominent figure in the Reformation movement and played a significant role in the spread of Protestant teachings in France.
In the 17th century, François Perrin (1590-1670) was a French mathematician and physicist who made contributions to the study of optics and the nature of light. He is best known for his collaboration with Blaise Pascal in conducting experiments on the vacuum and atmospheric pressure.
During the American Revolutionary War, Etienne Perrin (1745-1808) was a French-born soldier who fought alongside the Continental Army. He served as a captain in the Pulaski Legion and was later awarded land grants in Pennsylvania for his service.
In the literary world, Marie-Anne Perrin (1790-1860) was a French novelist and playwright who wrote under the pen name "Eugène de Mirecourt." Her works explored social issues and the lives of women in 19th-century France.
Another notable Perrin was Émile Perrin (1814-1904), a French operatic tenor and teacher. He had a successful career performing at the Paris Opera and later became a renowned voice instructor, teaching many famous singers of his time.
These are just a few examples of individuals with the Perrin surname who left their mark on history. The name has endured through the centuries, carrying the legacy of its French origins and the diverse accomplishments of those who bore it.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Perrin
Among Census respondents with the surname Perrin, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.3%. The next largest groups are Black (14.1%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Perrin bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Perrin surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White76.3% · 8,299
- Black or African American14.1% · 1,530
- Two or more races4.5% · 487
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 402
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 92
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 64
Timeline
Historical Census data for Perrin
Perrin appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#3,121
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,550
+328 bearers (+2.9%)
Per 100,000 3.92
Rank movement Down 173 places
2020
#3,237
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,874
-676 bearers (-5.9%)
Per 100,000 3.64
Rank movement Down 116 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,948 | 11,222 | 4.16 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,121 | 11,550 | 3.92 | +328 bearers (+2.9%) | Down 173 places |
| 2020 | #3,237 | 10,874 | 3.64 | -676 bearers (-5.9%) | Down 116 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Perrin surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #3,121 | #3,237 | -3.7% |
| Count | 11,550 | 10,874 | -5.9% |
| Per 100K | 3.92 | 3.64 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Perrin bearers went from 11,550 to 10,874 (-5.9% change). The surname moved down 116 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,121 to #3,237.
FAQ
Perrin surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Perrin?
Name Census estimates that about 12,469 living Americans carry the surname Perrin. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 27,489 residents.
How common is Perrin?
Perrin ranks #3,237 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.64 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 10,874 people with the surname Perrin. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (12,469), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.64 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.64 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Perrin.
Has Perrin become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Perrin went from 11,550 recorded bearers to 10,874. That is a decrease of 676 (-5.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,121 to #3,237.
What does the Census say about the background of Perrin?
Among Census respondents with the surname Perrin, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.3%. The next largest groups are Black (14.1%) and Two or More Races (4.5%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Perrin in the 2020 Census, accounting for 76.3% (8,299 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Perrin appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (76.3%), Black (14.1%), Two or More Races (4.5%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Perrin (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Perrin mean?
A French topographic surname for someone who lived near a stony place, derived from Old French "pierre" meaning "stone." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Perrin (3.64 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people share the surname Perrin?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.