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The last name Pérez is one of the most common in the entire Hispanic world. It is of Spanish origin and means “son of Pedro”. It is very popular in Spain, Mexico, Venezuela, Colombia, Argentina and other Latin American countries.
Meaning
Pérez is a patronymic surname, which refers to the parent or patriarch of the family; it was used to name his descendants. It is derived from the Spanish name Pedro, meaning “stone”, and has the Spanish suffix -ez , meaning “son of”.
The name Peter, in turn, derives from the Latin Petrus and comes from the name that Jesus gave to the apostle Simon, whom he named as the “foundation” or the “rock” where the Catholic Church would be based.
Some versions suggest that the surname Pérez could also be a toponymic surname to designate someone who lives near a “pear tree”. It is also possible that it is a variation of the Sephardic Jewish surname Peretz.
Origin of the surname Perez
It is believed that the name Pedro was very popular in the Middle Ages and some documents suggest that the surname Pérez already existed in the 12th century BC. c.
The surname Pérez arose in the north of Spain, in the kingdoms of Castilla, Aragón, Galicia, Navarra, Asturias, Cantabria and León, and later spread to other regions during the Iberian wars against the Muslims.
Some of the first records mention Fernando Pérez, who descended from the house of Pérez de Aragón from the town of Ribagorza, and served King James I of Aragón in the 13th century AD. C. Another famous person whose last name was Pérez was the secretary of King Felipe II, Antonio Pérez, in the 16th century AD. c.
The Pérez surname spread throughout Latin America during the conquest, especially in Mexico, where several people named Pedro or Pérez arrived in the troops of Hernán Cortés. In South America, one of the first conquerors with this name was Pedro de Valdivia, who was also governor of the territories that today belong to Chile, in the 16th century AD. c.
Currently, the Pérez surname is very popular in Spain, mainly in Castilla, Asturias and Andalusia. In the American continent, it is very common in Mexico, Venezuela and Colombia.
Curious facts about the last name Pérez
In addition to its origin and meaning, there are other curious facts about the surname Pérez:
- It is in the 77th position of the most common surnames in the world.
- It is the 7th most popular Hispanic surname.
- In Spain, it is the 8th most common surname.
- It is the 7th most popular surname in Argentina.
- Perez is the 29th most common surname in the United States.
- It is estimated that more than 7 million people in the world have the last name Pérez.
- There are other variants of the Pérez surname: Peres, Parez, Peretz, Peret, Perets, Pharez and Peris.
- The surname Pérez can also be found forming compound surnames such as: Pérez de Tudela, Pérez de Ayala, Pérez de Villamayor, Pérez de Soria, Pérez de la Torre, Pérez de Ariza, Pérez de la Calzada, or Pérez de Zamora.
Celebrities with the last name Perez
There are several famous people with the last name Pérez and they stand out in different fields such as politics, arts and sports. Some of them are:
- Sergio Michel “Checo” Pérez Mendoza: Mexican racing driver.
- Cristina Pérez: Argentine journalist.
- Adolfo Pérez Esquivel: Argentine activist.
- Agustín Pérez: Roman bishop of the 13th century AD. c.
- Ailyn Pérez: American soprano.
- Bartolomé Pérez: Spanish painter of the 17th century AD. c.
- Arturo Pérez-Reverte: Spanish journalist and novelist.
- Amy Perez: Filipina actress.
- Antonio Pérez Delgadillo: Mexican soccer player.
- Calixto Pérez: Colombian boxer.
- Dámaso Pérez Prado: Cuban composer.
- Armando “Pitbull” Pérez: American rapper.
Genealogy and resources
There are several resources to learn the origins and meaning of Hispanic surnames. Through them it is also possible to meet other people with the last name Pérez, see their family trees and obtain other information about genealogy.
- Ancestry.com – This is a subscription-based website featuring genealogy records for Perez families from around the world.
- Familysearch.com – is a free database and family trees for the Perez surname.
bibliography
- Vilches y De Marín, E. Golden book of Spanish surnames: their etymology, genealogy and heraldry. (2012). Spain. Ulan Press.
- Elian, JS The great book of surnames and heraldry . (2002). Spain. robinbook.
- Various authors. Genealogy and heraldry. (2011). Spain. National Library of Spain. Available at: http://www.bne.es/es/Micrositios/Guias/Genealogia/resources/docs/Guia_Genealogia_y_heraldica.pdf
