Show ContentsPerri History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Perri

What does the name Perri mean?

The distinguished surname Perri 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 Perri came from the personal name Pietro, or Peter, which is itself derived from the Greek word petrus meaning rock.

Early Origins of the Perri family

The surname Perri 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 Perri family

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

Perri 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 Perri 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 Perri 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, Antonio and Michele Peracchio were officially recognized as noblemen and were given the castle of Pia in 1408. The Peralta family in Sicily possessed over 8 feudal territories, and 11 other lands. Guglielmo Peralta was President of Sicily as well as Grand Chancellor and Treasurer. Also prominent was a Peretti of Montalto, who in 1585 was elected Pope with the new name...
Another 149 words (11 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Perri Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Perri Ranking

In the United States, the name Perri is the 6,844th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 1


Perri migration to the United States +

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

Perri Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Andrea Perri, aged 32, who landed in America from Coseiya Italy, in 1908
  • Angela Perri, aged 50, who landed in America from Amantea, Italy, in 1910
  • Alessandrio Perri, aged 27, who immigrated to the United States from Amantea, Italy, in 1910
  • Alberto Perri, aged 26, who landed in America from S. Vito, Italy, in 1911
  • Alessandro Perri, aged 27, who landed in America from S. Fili, Cosenza, Italy, in 1911
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Perri (post 1700) +

  • Paul John Perri (b. 1953), American actor, best known for portraying Edwards and Skinless Parker in Hellraiser: Bloodline
  • Leslie Perri (d. 1970), American science fiction fan, writer, and illustrator
  • Nick Perri, American former lead guitarist of the Blues-rock band Silvertide
  • Fortunato N. Perri, American attorney
  • Oreste Perri (b. 1951), Italian Olympic sprint canoer
  • Sandro Perri, Canadian musician and producer
  • Perri Alette McKissack (b. 1966), aka Perri Nixon, American dance-pop and urban contemporary singer-songwriter
  • Perri Peltz (b. 1961), American television journalist

Monongah Mine
  • Mr. Dominick Perri (b. 1884), Polish coal miner who was in mine 6 at the Monongah Mine on 6th December 1907 when it exploded and collapsed; he died 2


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. Monongah Mining Disaster retrieved on 8th August 2021. (Retrieved fromhttps://usminedisasters.miningquiz.com/saxsewell/monongah.htm).


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