Perry (surname)

Perry is a surname with several distinct origins. In England, deriving from the Old English pyrige (pear tree), referring to one who dwells by a pear tree,^[1] while in Wales Perry, along with Parry, arose as patronymics, via a shortening of "ap Harry" (son of Harry). There are some variants in the Romance languages (derived from Latin):^{[clarification needed]} Pereira, Pereyra, Pereyro, Pereiro, Pereiros, Pereire, Perera, Perer, Perero, Pereros;^[2] the Norman French perrieur (quarry), possibly referring to a quarryman.^[2] Perry was recorded as a surname from the late 16th century in villages near Colchester, Essex, East England, such as Lexden and Copford.^[3] Perry has some resemblance with the Portuguese common surname Pereira, which means pear tree in the Portuguese language. Because of that, many Portuguese immigrants to the USA (especially Massachusetts and the San Francisco Bay Area) chose to "Americanize" their Pereira surname to Perry. The Italian surname, Perri, related to "Peter", is also often Americanized to Perry.