Show ContentsPeralta History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The distinguished surname Peralta can be traced back to the ancient and beautiful region of Piedmont. Although people were originally known only by a single name, it became necessary for people to adopt a second name to identify themselves as populations grew and travel became more frequent. The process of adopting fixed hereditary surnames was not complete until the modern era, but the use of hereditary family names in Italy began in the 10th and 11th centuries. Italian hereditary surnames were developed according to fairly general principles and they were characterized by a profusion of derivatives coined from given names. The most common type of family name found in the region of Piedmont is the patronymic surname, which is derived from the father's given name. During the Middle Ages, Italians adopted the patronymic system of name-making because it perfectly complemented the prevailing Feudal System. In Italy the popularity of patronymic type of surname is also due to the fact that during the Christian era, people often named their children after saints and biblical figures. The surname Peralta came from the personal name Pietro, or Peter, which is itself derived from the Greek word petrus meaning rock.

Early Origins of the Peralta family

The surname Peralta was first found in Piedmont (Italian: Piemonte, Piedmontese and Occitan: Piemont), where Giuseppe Peracchio, was listed as a brave soldier during the 11th century.

Early History of the Peralta family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Peralta research. The years 1408, 1521, 1536, 1571, 1585, 1590, 1623, 1662, 1753, 1792, 1817 and 1900 are included under the topic Early Peralta History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Peralta Spelling Variations

Enormous variation in spelling and form characterizes those Italian names that originated in the medieval era. This is caused by two main factors: regional tradition, and inaccuracies in the recording process. Before the last few hundred years, scribes spelled names according to their sounds. Spelling variations were the unsurprising result. The variations of Peralta include Perri, Peri, Perrico, Perotti, Perotta, Perracco, Perracho, Perrachino, Perrachini, Peracchio, Perrachio, Perotti, Perricone, Peracca, Perachis, Peracini, Peraga, Perazzo, Peralta, Peralto, Perolto, Peretti, Peretto, Perini, Perino and many more.

Early Notables of the Peralta family

Prominent among members of the family was

  • Niccol Perolto, a 15th century humanist from Fano who specialized in Latin and Greek translation. Antonio and Pietro Peracchio received the castle of Pieve di Livone in 1536; from this same family, An...

Peralta Ranking

In the United States, the name Peralta is the 2,048th most popular surname with an estimated 14,922 people with that name. 1 However, in South America, the name Peralta is ranked the 82nd most popular surname with an estimated 57 people with that name. 2


United States Peralta migration to the United States +

Immigrants bearing the name Peralta or a variant listed above include:

Peralta Settlers in United States in the 16th Century
  • Cristobal de Peralta who arrived in Peru in 1594
Peralta Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Fernando De Peralta, who landed in America in 1812 3
  • Bernardina De Peralta, who arrived in America in 1817 3
  • Pedro Peralta, who arrived in Puerto Rico in 1821 3
  • A Peralta, aged 40, who landed in New Orleans, La in 1829 3
  • Juan De Peralta, who landed in New Spain in 1834 3
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Peralta (post 1700) +

  • Sergeant Rafael Peralta (1979-2004), American soldier, recipient of the Medal of Honor and the Navy Cross
  • Stacy Peralta (b. 1957), American professional skateboarder, team surfer, entrepreneur, and film and television director
  • Thomas Peralta, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate in primary for Michigan State House of Representatives 74th District, 1978 4
  • Bernice Peralta, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Texas, 1988 4
  • Alfred C. Peralta, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Louisiana, 1956 4
  • Marcelo Peralta (1961-2020), Argentine performer, teacher, composer and arranger who died from coronavirus disease 2019
  • Arnold Fabián Peralta Sosa (1989-2015), Honduran footballer
  • Sebelio Peralta Álvarez (1939-2014), Roman Catholic bishop, Bishop of Villarrica del Espíritu Santo (1990-2008) and San Lorenzo (since 2009
  • Joel Peralta Gutiérrez (b. 1976), Dominion Republic Major League Baseball relief pitcher for the Tampa Bay Rays
  • María Teresa de Larraín y Guzmán Peralta (1785-1840), former First Lady of Chile and wife of President Agustín Eyzaguirre
  • ... (Another 5 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)


Suggested Readings for the name Peralta +

  • Luis Maria Peralta and his Adobe by Frances L. Fox.

  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. "List of most common surnames in South America." Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_most_common_surnames_in_South_America
  3. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  4. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 17) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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