Perry surname meaning
A multi-origin surname linked to a pear tree, a Welsh patronymic, or a quarry worker.
Confidence: Disputed. More than one origin is plausible, or sources disagree. We show the conflict rather than pick a cute answer.
The short story
Perry carries several established histories. In English it can describe someone living by a pear tree, a landscape-based surname that motivates this page’s place category. In Wales, Perry and Parry can come from ap Harry, “son of Harry,” while Norman French perrieur may have named a quarry worker. Portuguese Pereira and Italian Perri were also sometimes adapted to Perry in American records. These routes are not interchangeable, so the page does not force them into one definition. Parry, Perrie, Pereira, and Perri are related forms or analogues, not automatic proof of descent.
Also seen as: Parry, Perrie, Pereira, Perri
- Wikipedia “Perry (surname)” (pear-tree, Welsh patronymic, and quarry streams)
- Oxford/DAFN surname reference for Perry
- Names2020_LastNames_Top1000.xlsx (2020 Census)