The surname Perera is of local origin, that is, it is a surname derived from the place of origin of the initial bearer. In this case, the surname is derived from one of several places so named in Portugal. The name is derived from the Spanish word "Pera," which means "pear."
The surname Perera was first found in Northern Portugal near the Spanish border. The ancestors of the bearers of this name are thought to descend from Don Mendo "irmao" of Desiderio, King of the Lombards. After a great storm at sea, five of his knights arrived at a port in Galicia, Spain in 740. One of the earliest records of the surname is of Don Alvaro Pires de Castro, who, in 1177 was given lands in Palmeira in the province of Entre Douro by King Sancho I.
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Perera research. Another 64 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1360, 1431, 1383, 1385, 1433, 1588, 1683, 1535, 1610, 1591, 1954, 1655, 1645 and 1708 are included under the topic Early Perera History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Spelling variations of this family name include: Pereira, Perera, Perreira and others.
Prominent members of the family include Pedro Homem Pereira, the 17th and last Captain-major of Portuguese Ceylon (1591-1954); Marcos Soares Pereira (died 1655), a Portuguese composer...
Another 26 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Perera Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
In the United States, the name Perera is the 13,190th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. [1] However, in Australia, the name Perera is ranked the 727th most popular surname with an estimated 5,353 people with that name. [2]