Last name: Pereira

Recorded in over forty spelling forms including Pear, Peer, Pearman (England), Pere, Poir, Poirier, Poirot, Poirriez, and Dupoirer (France and Belgium), Perier, Perrier, Peres and Perie (Provencal), Pera, La Pira, Delpero and Piras (Italy), Perera and Pereira (Spain and Portugal), and Pirner (Germany), this is usually an occupational surname. It describes either a grower or seller of fruit particularly pears, or it may be topgographical for a person who lived by a fruit orchard. The ultimate origination of the surname however spelt is the Roman (Latin) word "pirum". In some case it is claimed that the name is a nickname although again ultimately one from a Roman word this time "par". In French this became "pere" and in Medieval English "peer". The original meaning was a boon companion, one who was alike in most aspects, and could therefore be trusted. Occupational surnames were amongst the first to be created as to describe a person by the work they carried out, made for the easiest possible identification. However these names rarely became hereditary before the 14th century and then usually when a son or possibly even a grandson, followed the father into the same line of work. In this case although records are to be found throughout Europe the very first of all known recordings in any form is that of Osbert Pere, believed to be a Frenchman, in the Pipe Rolls of the county of Buckinghamshire, England, in the year 1230.

Visitor Comments

Patricia Pereira
very interesting to know :) I lived in Brazil and then I discover it is portuguese but how did we end up in Guatemala? :) Patty Pereira Guatemala, Central America

Derek Pereira
Hi Patty, I am South African and my father's family are from Madeira. Strangely enough my mother's name was Patricia (Patsy) Pereira, but her maiden name was Christie. It seems the Portuguese sailors made strides into all territories!!

Alex S. Pereiro.
Pereira/Pereiro comes from Hebrew Agas = Pear. They are sephardic jews last names of Galicia (Spain) and Portugal.

Jesse
My Mother's maiden name was spelled PERARIA. Her grandfather came from Madeira Portugal, to the USA as a toddler. This is all my sister and I know. My Mother often said we had Gypsy and Jewish blood in us. Who knows? Anything is possible..and whatever I am is fine with me. My hope is to some day travel to Portugal to "find my roots" E-mail me at the following...... telnurseg@aol.com..any info would be helpful.

christina
im puerto rican with the last name pereira, and i hope to one day look up my family tree and find out where the last name came from, maybe my ancestors were from colombia or portugal.

Alexis
In my view as well Pereira and Pereiro and all other variants the case Pereyra, Perera, Perera, Parés, Peral, Perales have a Celtic origin. These names come from the word "pear" or "pear tree". The name in Gaelic, the language of Celtic is the name Perry is just the pear tree. Pereira and its variants is not Jewish or gypsy or anything similar to it, this is a surname of Galcia, Spain, and most of Galicia are descendants of the Celts.

Pedro
Pereira has no Jewish origin but indeed it was used by many Portuguese Jews when they were forced to convert or hide. Today, most Pereiras are descendants from Jews.

Michael Albert Pereira
The name Pereira in Latin means, pere: very, ira: angry; in Hebrew, Pe Resh Resh means a wrecker; in Arabic, Pe Resh Resh means a fugitive.