UK surname
A French surname derived from the place name Puisaye or Puiseaux.
In the 1881 census there were 218 people recorded with the Perrey surname, ranking it #12,158 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 34, ranked #35,768, down from #12,158 in 1881.
The strongest historical links point to Sidbury, Oldswinford and Bletchley. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include No data.
Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Perrey is 445 in 1851. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 84.4%.
1881 census count
218
Ranked #12,158
Modern count
34
2016, ranked #35,768
Peak year
1851
445 bearers
Map years
6
1851 to 1911
Key insights
Map
Back to topThe map shows where the Perrey surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.
Distribution map
Perrey surname density by area, 1881 census.
Timeline
Back to topThe table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.
| Year | Period | Count | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1851 | historical | 445 | #5,532 |
| 1861 | historical | 402 | #6,383 |
| 1881 | historical | 218 | #12,158 |
| 1891 | historical | 217 | #14,062 |
| 1901 | historical | 106 | #22,076 |
| 1911 | historical | 124 | #20,023 |
| 1997 | modern | 35 | #34,174 |
| 1998 | modern | 35 | #34,344 |
| 1999 | modern | 32 | #34,717 |
| 2000 | modern | 30 | #34,885 |
| 2001 | modern | 33 | #34,436 |
| 2002 | modern | 37 | #34,390 |
| 2003 | modern | 36 | #34,522 |
| 2004 | modern | 37 | #34,640 |
| 2005 | modern | 34 | #35,056 |
| 2006 | modern | 31 | #35,467 |
| 2007 | modern | 33 | #35,461 |
| 2008 | modern | 32 | #35,610 |
| 2009 | modern | 32 | #35,730 |
| 2010 | modern | 33 | #35,794 |
| 2011 | modern | 29 | #36,004 |
| 2012 | modern | 45 | #35,105 |
| 2013 | modern | 41 | #35,384 |
| 2014 | modern | 39 | #35,493 |
| 2015 | modern | 34 | #35,756 |
| 2016 | modern | 34 | #35,768 |
Geography
Back to topHistorical parish links are strongest around Sidbury, Oldswinford, Bletchley, St Mary Islington and Halesowen (all except Hunnington, Romsley; partly in Halesowen, Worcestershire). These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.
The modern local-area list points to No data. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.
| Rank | Parish | Area |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sidbury | Devon |
| 2 | Oldswinford | Worcestershire |
| 3 | Bletchley | Buckinghamshire |
| 4 | St Mary Islington | London (North Districts) |
| 5 | Halesowen (all except Hunnington, Romsley; partly in Halesowen, Worcestershire) | Staffordshire |
| Rank | Area | District |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | No data | No data |
Forenames
Back to topThese lists show first names that appear often with the Perrey surname in historical and recent records.
Recent female names
Recent male names
Modern profile
Back to topModern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Perrey, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.
These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.
The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.
UK neighbourhood type
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Nationally, the Perrey surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as No data, within No data. This does not mean every Perrey household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.
London neighbourhood type
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Within London, Perrey is most associated with areas classed as No data, part of No data. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.
Broadband speed
The modern neighbourhood pattern for Perrey is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of No data.
Area snapshot
This describes the area pattern most associated with Perrey, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.
Origin
Back to topThe surname Perrey is believed to have originated in France, with its earliest recorded use dating back to the 12th century. It is thought to have derived from the Old French word "perrière," which referred to a stone quarry or a place where stones were extracted. This suggests that the name may have originally been an occupational surname, given to someone who worked in a quarry or lived near one.
One of the earliest known references to the name Perrey can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Bedfordshire, England, from the year 1176. These rolls recorded the payment of taxes by landowners, and a person named Roger Perrey is listed as owing dues. This indicates that the name had already spread to England by the late 12th century.
The Perrey surname is also mentioned in the Cartulary of Ramsey Abbey, a medieval manuscript containing records of the Benedictine abbey in Huntingdonshire, England. This reference dates back to the early 13th century, further cementing the name's presence in England during that time period.
In the 14th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as Perray, Perrey, and Perrye. These variations likely stemmed from regional differences in pronunciation and spelling. One notable bearer of the name was John Perrey, a monk at the Cistercian abbey of Flaxley in Gloucestershire, who lived in the late 14th century.
During the 16th century, the surname Perrey was associated with several prominent individuals. One of them was Thomas Perrey, a member of the Guild of Weavers in the city of Coventry, England, who was active in the 1540s. Another notable figure was Sir John Perrey, a Member of Parliament for Shropshire in the 1560s.
In the 17th century, the Perrey surname was found in various parts of England, as well as in Scotland. One notable bearer of the name was Sir William Perrey, a Scottish nobleman who served as a judge and held the title of Lord Perrey. He lived from 1610 to 1678.
As time progressed, the surname Perrey continued to appear in historical records across different regions. In the 18th century, a man named Charles Perrey was a prominent clockmaker in London, while in the 19th century, Claude Perrey was a renowned French composer and pioneer of electronic music, born in 1928.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
1881 census detail
Back to topThese tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Perrey surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.
Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Devon leads with 28 Perreys recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.38x.
| County | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Devon | 28 | 6.38x |
| Surrey | 28 | 2.73x |
| Yorkshire | 16 | 0.77x |
| Middlesex | 14 | 0.66x |
| Warwickshire | 13 | 2.45x |
| Shropshire | 12 | 6.59x |
| Hampshire | 11 | 2.55x |
| Sussex | 11 | 3.10x |
| Cornwall | 10 | 4.19x |
| Essex | 8 | 1.92x |
| Bedfordshire | 7 | 6.42x |
| Durham | 7 | 1.12x |
| Berkshire | 6 | 3.79x |
| Kent | 6 | 0.83x |
| Oxfordshire | 6 | 4.61x |
| Gloucestershire | 5 | 1.21x |
| Somerset | 5 | 1.47x |
| Hertfordshire | 4 | 2.75x |
| Lancashire | 4 | 0.16x |
| Nottinghamshire | 4 | 1.41x |
| Dorset | 3 | 2.17x |
| Derbyshire | 1 | 0.30x |
| Leicestershire | 1 | 0.43x |
| Norfolk | 1 | 0.31x |
| Northamptonshire | 1 | 0.50x |
| Northumberland | 1 | 0.32x |
| Staffordshire | 1 | 0.14x |
| Wiltshire | 1 | 0.54x |
| Worcestershire | 1 | 0.36x |
Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Egg Buckland in Devon leads with 13 Perreys recorded in 1881 and an index of 1733.33x.
These are the female first names most often recorded with the Perrey surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
| Name | Count |
|---|---|
| Mary | 12 |
| Elizabeth | 8 |
| Ann | 7 |
| Jane | 6 |
| Sarah | 6 |
| Eliza | 5 |
| Ellen | 5 |
| Alice | 4 |
| Edith | 4 |
| Ada | 3 |
| Emily | 3 |
| Anne | 2 |
| Ethel | 2 |
| Hannah | 2 |
| Harriet | 2 |
| Margaret | 2 |
| Maria | 2 |
| Annie | 1 |
| Caroline | 1 |
| Carrie | 1 |
| Charlot | 1 |
| Charlotte | 1 |
| Ellenor | 1 |
| Emma | 1 |
| Emmley | 1 |
| Enice | 1 |
| Fanny | 1 |
| Flora | 1 |
| Florence | 1 |
| Gertrude | 1 |
| Hanah | 1 |
| Harriett | 1 |
| Harriott | 1 |
| Hellen | 1 |
| Isabella | 1 |
| Julia | 1 |
| Kate | 1 |
| Kesiah | 1 |
| Kitty | 1 |
| Lilley | 1 |
| Lily | 1 |
| Lucy | 1 |
| Marg. | 1 |
| Margrett | 1 |
| Mrs. | 1 |
| Polly | 1 |
| Rachel | 1 |
| Rebecca | 1 |
| Sara | 1 |
| Susanah | 1 |
These are the male first names most often recorded with the Perrey surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
| Name | Count |
|---|---|
| John | 14 |
| Thomas | 11 |
| James | 10 |
| George | 9 |
| Charles | 7 |
| Samuel | 7 |
| William | 6 |
| Henry | 5 |
| Richard | 5 |
| Edward | 3 |
| Joseph | 3 |
| Frederick | 2 |
| Albert | 1 |
| Alfred | 1 |
| Amos | 1 |
| Arthur | 1 |
| Bartholomew | 1 |
| Daniel | 1 |
| David | 1 |
| Dick | 1 |
| Earnest | 1 |
| Eli | 1 |
| Ernest | 1 |
| Francis | 1 |
| Henery | 1 |
| Jacob | 1 |
| Jim | 1 |
| Job | 1 |
| Josiah | 1 |
| Mary | 1 |
| Mr. | 1 |
| Nelson | 1 |
| Robert | 1 |
| Walter | 1 |
| Willm. | 1 |
Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Perrey households.
FAQ
In 1881, 218 people were recorded with the Perrey surname. That placed it at #12,158 in the surname rankings for that year.
The latest modern count shown here is 34 in 2016. That gives Perrey a modern rank of #35,768.
A French surname derived from the place name Puisaye or Puiseaux.
The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Perrey bearers relative to the surrounding population.
The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.