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Perret History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Motto Citations

Perret History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Perret is one of the thousands of new names that the Norman Conquest of 1066 brought to England. It comes from the name Peter. This name was a baptismal name that was originally derived from the French name Pierre and was a diminutive of the name Parrot, which means little Peter.

Interestingly, the English word "parrot," for the talking bird, was not in use until the 16th century, much later than this word's use as a surname.

Another source claims the name was originally "De Perrott from Castel Perrott, which he built in Armorica (Brittany), and the town of Perrott, one league from it. He came over to England in 957, and obtained some lands in Wessex, on a river which changed its name to the Perrot (now corrupted to the Parret), in Somersetshire." 1

Early Origins of the Perret family

The surname Perret was first found in Pembrokeshire where they were granted the lands of Ystington, Haroldston, and Carew Castle in that shire by King William for their assistance at the Battle of Hastings in 1066 A.D. 2 Sir Stephen Perrott married Helen, the daughter of Marchion Ap Rice, Prince of South Wales at the beginning of the 12th century. "The valour and magnanimity of Sir Stephen gained him the respect and love of the Princess Ellyn's people. Their son, Sir Andrew, claimed the kingdom of Wales, in right of his mother, and collected a body of forces in assertion of his right, but the King of England marched a numerous army into the country to take advantage of the disorders; the knowledge of which and a sum of money offered by the English king, through the Bishop of St. David's, brought him to declare for that prince, who knighted him, on his doing homage for the land for twenty miles round Sir William's camp, whereon he built the Castle of Narbeth, whose ruins are extant in Pembroke." 1

Thorp Perrot Hall is a large 18th-century country house standing in an estate on the northern edge of Snape village. North Perrot(t) is a parish, in the union of Yeovil, hundred of Houndsborough, Berwick, and Coker, W. division of Somerset and South Perrot(t) is a parish, in the union of Beaminster, hundred of Beaminster-Forum, and Redhone, Bridport division of Dorset. 3

"The name of Parrott, probably a form of Perrett or Perrott, a common Somersetshire name, is better represented in Buckinghamshire, and is referred to also under that county. There was a gentle family of Parratt in the parish of Enstone [Oxfordshire] during the reign of Elizabeth." 4

Early feudal rolls provided the king of the time a method of cataloguing holdings for taxation, but today they provide a glimpse into the wide surname spellings in use at that time. Ralph Perot was listed in Essex in 1235 and later in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 in Bedfordshire. William Poret was found in the Subsidy Rolls for Yorkshire in 1301; and John Parrat was in early London records in 1344. 5

Early History of the Perret family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Perret research. Another 98 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1528, 1550, 1571, 1579, 1583, 1588, 1592, 1597, 1601, 1604, 1608, 1611, 1617, 1622, 1626, 1629, 1636, 1659, 1671, 1677, 1679 and 1683 are included under the topic Early Perret History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Perret Spelling Variations

Before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Sound was what guided spelling in the Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Perret family name include Perrot, Parrott, Parrot, Perrott, Perot, Perott, Perrett and many more.

Early Notables of the Perret family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Rober Perrot (died 1550), English organist of Magdalen College, Oxford, second son of George Perrot of Harroldston, Pembrokeshire; Sir James Perrot (1571-1636), a Welsh writer and politician, Member of Parliament for Haverfordwest in 1597, (1604-1622) and (1626-1629), Custos Rotulorum of Pembrokeshire...
Another 49 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Perret Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Perret Ranking

In France, the name Perret is the 202^nd most popular surname with an estimated 16,894 people with that name. 6

Migration of the Perret family to Ireland

Some of the Perret family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 104 words (7 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Perret migration to the United States +

To escape the political and religious chaos of this era, thousands of English families began to migrate to the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. The passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe; however, those who made the voyage safely were encountered opportunities that were not available to them in their homeland. Many of the families that reached the New World at this time went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of the United States and Canada. Research into various historical records has revealed some of first members of the Perret family to immigrate North America:

Perret Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Robert Perret, who arrived in Virginia in 1714 7
Hans Perret, who arrived in Carolina in 1744 7
John Perret, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1765 7
Henri Perret, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1772 7

Perret Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Henry Perret, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1844 7
Frederick Perret, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1853 7

Perret migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Perret Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. Gilbert Thomas "Tom" Perret, (b. 1862), aged 1, English settler from Somerset travelling from London aboard the ship "Tiptree" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 20th January 1864 8
Mr. Francis "Frank" Thomas Perret, (b. 1822), aged 41, English shoemaker from Somerset travelling from London aboard the ship "Tiptree" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 20th January 1864 8
Mrs. Harriet Perret née Reeves, (b. 1827), aged 35, English settler from Somerset travelling from London aboard the ship "Tiptree" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 20th January 1864 8
Miss Emily "Emma" Jane Perret, (b. 1849), aged 13, English shoebinder from Somerset travelling from London aboard the ship "Tiptree" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 20th January 1864 8
Miss Eleanora Lavinia Perret, (b. 1852), aged 11, English settler from Somerset travelling from London aboard the ship "Tiptree" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 20th January 1864 8
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Perret (post 1700) +

Gene Perret (1937-2022), American comedy writer and producer who won three Emmys for his work on The Carol Burnett Show and worked for Bob Hope for 28 years
Craig Perret (b. 1951), American thoroughbred horse racing jockey who has had 4,415 career wins
Pierre Perret (b. 1934), French singer and composer
J.R. Perret, British head of Elswick Ordnance Company who designed warships such as the Brazilian Minas Geraes-class battleships and Rio de Janeiro
Déborah Perret, French voice actress
Jean-Marc Perret (b. 1975), British child actor, best known for his role as Prince Caspian in the BBC adaptation in 1989
Patrick Perret (b. 1953), former French racing cyclist who rode in eight editions of the Tour de France between 1975 and 1982
Léonce Joseph Perret (1880-1935), French film actor, director and producer
Auguste Perret (1874-1954), French architect, his post-World War II reconstruction of Le Havre was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO

The Perret Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Amo ut invenio
Motto Translation: I love as I find

Citations +

Burke, John Bernard, The Roll of Battle Abbey. London: Edward Churton, 26, Holles Street, 1848, Print.
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
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)
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html