Surname Pereira - Meaning and Origin

Unveiling my Pereira Lineage through iGENEA DNA Test: My Journey Towards My Roots

I embarked on a journey to unravel the mysteries of my ancestry with the iGENEA DNA test. The detailed analysis revealed a rich lineage of the Pereira surname and enabled me to connect with long-lost relatives globally.

D. Pereira

Pereira: What does the surname Pereira mean?

The last name Pereira is of Portuguese origin and means 'pear tree.' The name is believed to have originated as a topographical surname for someone who lived near a pear tree or pear orchard. It is one of the most common surnames in Portugal and is spread throughout Portuguese-speaking countries worldwide, including Brazil, Angola, and Cape Verde. It's also found in regions with significant Portuguese immigration, such as the northeastern United States, Canada, and Australia. It is frequently found in Goa, India, a former Portuguese colony. The name might have ornamental adoption among Jews, after the expulsions of Jews from Portugal and Spain when they were forced to adopt Christian surnames and often chose names of trees or animals. As with many surnames, there are several families with this last name, unrelated to each other.

Pereira: Where does the name Pereira come from?

The last name Pereira is most commonly found within Portugal, Brazil, and some other Portuguese-speaking countries such as Angola and Mozambique. It is also common in the West Indies, given that a large proportion of the population of former colonies such as São Tomé e Príncipe, Equatorial Guinea, and Cape Verde are of Portuguese descent.

In the United States, for example, the surname Pereira ranks 634 out of 88,799 surnames in terms of prevalence, primarily concentrated in areas with larger Portuguese populations. Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Jersey, and New York all have significant concentrations of Portuguese ancestry and, therefore, of Pereiras as well.

In Canada, Pereira is one of the more common Portuguese surnames, especially in the province of Ontario where there is a large Portuguese-speaking population, and especially in the cities of Toronto and Ottawa. It is also common in the coastal provinces of Brittany and Normandy in France, as well as in some parts of Belgium, as many Portuguese immigrants settled in these areas in the 19th and 20th centuries.

Finally, Pereira is also a common surname in many former Portuguese colonies in India and the Far East, as Portuguese sailors and merchants settled in these areas in the 1500s and 1600s. In particular, Macau, Goa, and Malacca are cities with a strong Portuguese influence and large Portuguese-speaking populations.

Variations of the surname Pereira

The surname Pereira is a popular surname found in the Iberian Peninsula and in countries with Portuguese and Spanish settlers. Its variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin are:

Peraira, Pereyre, Pereyra, Perreira, Pereyre, Perriere, Pereza, Pereiro, Pereane, Pereyre, Peretz, Pereire, Perere, Perre, Pere Joan, Periera, Perereiro, Peregrym, Perciro, Pere Oliveira, Percira, Pacaire, de Perrera, Pereero, Peraza, Pebrero, Perousa, Berrio, Berro, Berri, Periera, Platas, Plataso, Pires, Peres, Pes, Pedreira, Freire, Freyras, Frère, Frère Jordão, Freirel, Freiret, Freirete, Fereiras, Peres, Piters, Pedros, Petrão, Peresin, Pereso, Perrinho, Perego, Perreyre, Pererolo, etc.

In Spanish and Portuguese, the surname Pereira is derived from the Latin word peregrinum which means "foreigner." As such, many of the surname variants are derivatives of that meaning. It is also possible that the surname Pereira originated from the name Pedro, which means "rock" in Spanish and Portuguese. Some of the variants may have been created by adding other suffixes or prefixes to the original surname, such as de Pereira, Pereira de, or Pereira y.

The surname Pereira is very common in Latin America, where it is often found in countries such as Brazil, Argentina, Venezuela and Colombia. It is also widely found in Portugal, Spanish-speaking countries and among people with Spanish or Portuguese ancestry.

Famous people with the name Pereira

• Bruno Fernandes Pereira: Bruno Fernandes is a professional football player currently playing for Manchester United. He has previously played for Udinese, Sampdoria and Sporting CP.
• Fabio Centro Pereira: Fabio is a Brazilian singer and composer. He is the winner of the Latin Grammy Awards for Best Album and Album of the Year for 2012.
• Claudete Troiano Pereira: Claudete is a Brazilian actress who has been in several television shows and movies. She has won several awards including the Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress awards in Brazil.
• Vanessa Pereira: Vanessa is a Brazilian actress and model. She has appeared in the TV series Sob Pressão, Estação Carandiru and Malhação.
• Régis Pereira da Silva: Régis is a Brazilian singer, songwriter and instrumentalist. He became famous in the music industry with his album Trovas e Jogadas that carried the hit songs: Gosto do que É and Ponto Final.
• João Pereira: João is a Portuguese footballer who previously played for Sporting CP, Real Valladolid and Valencia.
• Flávio Távora Pereira: Flávio is a Brazilian architect, urban designer and urbanist. He has won numerous awards and has been recognized in many cities in Brazil.
• Adriane Galisteu Pereira: Adriane is a Brazilian presenter, actress and model. She has been the host of numerous TV programs in Brazil and is currently a judge on the show SuperStar.
• Pablo Pereira: Pablo is a Venezuelan actor and comedian. He has appeared in several telenovelas and series, including Cuando Me Sonreís, Santa Diabla and Simona.
• Nuno Filipe Pereira da Silva: Nuno is a Portuguese footballer who currently plays for Benfica. He has previously played for FC Porto and SC Braga.

Other surnames