Perry

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Perry

Gender: Masculine.
Language: English
Etymology:
Perry is an Old English surname meaning ”By the Pear Tree” from the Old English word “pirige” (pear tree) from the Latin word “pirum” (pear).
-or-
Perry come from Parry, a Welsh surname meaning “Son of Harry” from “ap Harry.”
-or-
Perry is a diminutive for Peregrine, or Percival.
-or-
Perry is an Anglicization of Piero or Pierre (forms of Peter).

History:
Perry is one of those names like Sherman, Taylor, Russell, or Harrison, that was a surname transferred to become a first name in the United States (benefitting from the trend for giving Irish names).

Originally, it would have been bestowed upon sons as either a first or a middle name in order to honor the Perry surname. For example, a woman named Mary Perry who married a man named John Smith, may name her son John Perry Smith, or merely Perry Smith. Or a man wishing to honor Judge Thomas Perry may name his son Thomas Perry Johnson, or Perry Johnson.

Perry may have been popularized in the early 19th century in the United States after the naval heroes Oliver Hazard Perry (1785-1819) and Matthew Perry (1794-1858).

Perry experienced brief rise in the 1950s (about the height of singer Perry Como’s popularity).

Pronunciation: pare-ee.

Famous Bearers:
Educators, Scholar, and Social Workers:
Perry Miller (1905-1963)
American literary historian.

Fictional Characters:
Perry Mason
Attorney created by Erle Stanley Gardner.

Scientists:
Perry Byerly (1897-1978)
American seismologist.

Singers and Entertainers:
Perry Como (Pierino Como) (1912-2001)
American singer.

Popularity:
Percentage from the 1990 U.S. Census:
0.049 % of males named Perry

0.094 % surnamed Perry
0.004 % surnamed Parry

Popularity of Perry:
Popularity (for newborns):
In the United States...
1850: 111th most popular.
1875: 191st most popular.
1880: 100th most popular.
1881: 102nd most popular.
1882: 111th most popular.
1883: 102nd most popular.
1884: 111th most popular.
1885: 119th most popular.
1886: 110th most popular.
1887: 118th most popular.
1888: 126th most popular.
1889: 137th most popular.
1890: 133rd most popular.
1891: 132nd most popular.
1892: 146th most popular.
1893: 160th most popular.
1894: 190th most popular.
1895: 160th most popular.
1896: 148th most popular.
1897: 151st most popular.
1898: 186th most popular.
1899: 148th most popular.
1900: 148th most popular.
1901: 168th most popular.
1902: 162nd most popular.
1903: 185th most popular.
1904: 191st most popular.
1905: 180th most popular.
1906: 186th most popular.
1907: 220th most popular.
1908: 172nd most popular.
1909: 198th most popular.
1910: 205th most popular.
1911: 197th most popular.
1912: 239th most popular.
1913: 223rd most popular.
1914: 231st most popular.
1915: 216th most popular.
1916: 239th most popular.
1917: 214th most popular.
1918: 227th most popular.
1919: 227th most popular.
1920: 233rd most popular.
1921: 235th most popular.
1922: 217th most popular.
1923: 219th most popular.
1924: 221st most popular.
1925: 230th most popular.
1926: 235th most popular.
1927: 228th most popular.
1928: 212th most popular.
1929: 221st most popular.
1930: 223rd most popular.
1931: 225th most popular.
1932: 229th most popular.
1933: 236th most popular.
1934: 221st most popular.
1935: 228th most popular.
1936: 224th most popular.
1937: 219th most popular.
1938: 210th most popular.
1939: 211th most popular.
1940: 226th most popular.
1941: 221st most popular.
1942: 212th most popular.
1943: 212th most popular.
1944: 229th most popular.
1945: 208th most popular.
1946: 200th most popular.
1947: 193rd most popular.
1948: 200th most popular.
1949: 196th most popular.
1950: 192nd most popular.
1951: 194th most popular.
1952: 196th most popular.
1953: 199th most popular.
1954: 198th most popular.
1955: 183rd most popular.
1956: 163rd most popular.
1957: 145th most popular.
1958: 132nd most popular.
1959: 132nd most popular.
1960: 146th most popular.
1961: 154th most popular.
1962: 164th most popular.
1963: 171st most popular.
1964: 178th most popular.
1965: 186th most popular.
1966: 207th most popular.
1967: 220th most popular.
1968: 239th most popular.
1969: 243rd most popular.
1970: 263rd most popular.
1971: 283rd most popular.
1972: 328th most popular.
1973: 337th most popular.
1974: 331st most popular.
1975: 350th most popular.
1976: 357th most popular.
1977: 401st most popular.
1978: 375th most popular.
1979: 379th most popular.
1980: 388th most popular.
1981: 370th most popular.
1982: 394th most popular.
1983: 380th most popular.
1984: 402nd most popular.
1985: 353rd most popular.
1986: 387th most popular.
1987: 392nd most popular.
1988: 425th most popular.
1989: 439th most popular.
1990: 469th most popular.
1991: 497th most popular.
1992: 531st most popular.
1993: 520th most popular.
1994: 551st most popular.
1995: 561st most popular.
1996: 593rd most popular.
1997: 588th most popular.
1998: 637th most popular.
1999: 670th most popular.
2000: 696th most popular.
2001: 731st most popular.
2002: 768th most popular.
2003: 854th most popular.
2004: 812th most popular.

Selected Sources:
A Dictionary of First Names, Hanks and Hodges, 1990
The Penguin Dictionary of First Names, Pickering, 1999
A Dictionary of English Surnames, Reaney and Wilson, 1990

The Social Security Administration Actuarial Note 139 (www.ssa.gov) - For popularity stats 1880-Present
The 1880 U.S. Census- For popularity stats 1850-1880, and other information (it is available on-line at www.familysearch.org)