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Origins of the Perry surname

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What does the name Perry mean?

Perry is an English surname, with two common hypothesised points of origin. Firstly it is thought to come from the Middle English 'pirie' (pear-tree), and denote somebody who lived near or worked with pear trees. It is also believed by some to be a patronymic, deriving from the French name 'Pierre', and given to those who were the son or lineage of a person of that name.

Alternative variations of the name Perry

Perry, Perie, Perrie, Pery, Pirie

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Where do most Perrys live?

In 1921, most Perrys lived in London.


Census records trace your ancestors through each generation, so you can follow where your relatives lived through each decade.

Interesting facts about Perrys

How common is your surname?

144th most common surname in the UK

We have 237,000 records for the Perry surname. The oldest one dates back to 1220.

Who were Perrys most likely to marry?

Smiths

&

Williamses

Our Marriage record sets tell us which families married Perrys.

What are the most common Perry first names?

  • John
  • William
  • Mary
  • Elizabeth

Our birth record sets tell us the names of Perry family members

Common jobs for Perrys

Men and women often performed different types of jobs, so these are displayed by gender to maintain their historical accuracy.

Common Female occupations for Perrys in 1921
Dressmaker

974

Laundress

798

Domestic Servant

573

General Servant Domestic

561

General Servant

477

Common Male occupations for Perrys in 1921
Agricultural Labourer

1,156

General Labourer

857

Coal Miner

846

Farm Labourer

672

Carpenter

613

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We found over 380,000 family trees with the Perry surname

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