Surname origin and research guide
Pérez
Patronymic meaning, Spanish roots, geographic clues, and family research
Pérez is a widespread Spanish patronymic surname traditionally understood as “son of Pedro.” It arose independently around different men named Pedro, so people bearing the Pérez surname do not necessarily descend from one common ancestor.
Meaning and formation
Pérez combines the personal name Pedro with the Spanish patronymic ending -ez. Pedro derives from the Latin Petrus, connected with the Greek petros, meaning “stone” or “rock.” The popularity of Pedro helped produce many separate Pérez family lines.
Geographic context
The surname has deep roots throughout Spain and is now widespread across Latin America, the Caribbean, the United States, and other Spanish-speaking communities. Modern distribution identifies concentrations of bearers, but it cannot establish one birthplace for every Pérez family.
Variants to investigate
Search both Pérez and Perez because accents are frequently omitted in databases, immigration documents, and English-language records. Historical searches may also encounter Peres or related spellings, but any connection must be tested with dates, places, relatives, and original documents.
Records that move research forward
Begin with civil birth, marriage, and death certificates; parish registers; censuses; passenger lists; military files; notarial records; and local archives. Preserve both paternal and maternal surnames, and use parents, spouses, occupations, addresses, witnesses, and exact towns to distinguish people with this common name.