Perez

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 |surname

ORIGIN AND HISTORY

The surname Perez is of Spanish origin and means “son of Pedro.”^[1] Pedro is the Spanish equivalent of the name Peter, which means “rock.”^[1] Perez may also be a variation of the Sephardic Jewish surname, Peretz.^[1] Peretz means “bursting forth,” and was borne by one of Jacob’s grandsons in the Old Testament.^[1] In the Sephardic tradition, Perez can be traced back to the 14th century in Spain, to a group of Iberian-born Jews who converted to Christianity.^[1]

In Spain, the name Perez may be traced back as far as Visigoth times.^[1]

POPULARITY

Perez is a very common surname. In the United States, Perez ranked at number 44 on the list of most common surnames. The highest concentration of people with this last name is in California, followed closely by Texas, Florida and New York.^[1] Within California, Perez ranks as the 11th most common surname.^[1]

In Argentina, Perez is the 7th most common surname, and in France, the 69th.^[1]

FACTS

• Because of the Sephardic history, many people with the name Perez may possibly be Crypto-Jews, that is, people whose families converted to Christianity during the Inquisition, but who kept a secret adherence to Jewish traditions.
• According to Orthodox Hebrew tradition, one of the names of the Messiah is “ben Peretz,” meaning “son of Peretz.”^[1]
• There were 47 people with the last name Perez who served on the Confederate side of the Civil War, and 30 people who served on the Union side.^[1]

NAMESAKES

• Perez Hilton: famous blog
• Perez, Quezon, Philippines
• Perez, Santa Fe, Argentina

FAMOUS PERSONS

• Rosie Perez: actress (born 1964)
• Juan Beneyto Perez: writer
• Danilo Perez: pianist and composer (Panama)
• George Perez: comic book artist (born June 9, 1954)
• Fabian Perez: artist

NOTES

Author: Sarena Emily Levinson