Pereira is a

surname In many societies, a surname, family name, or last name is the mostly hereditary portion of one's personal name that indicates one's family. It is typically combined with a given name to form the full name of a person, although several give ...

in the Portuguese and Galician languages in Portugal, Galicia, Brazil, other regions of the former

Portuguese Empire The Portuguese Empire was a colonial empire that existed between 1415 and 1999. In conjunction with the Spanish Empire, it ushered in the European Age of Discovery. It achieved a global scale, controlling vast portions of the Americas, Africa ...

, and among Galician descendants in Spanish-speaking Latin America. The adoption of this surname also became common among Sephardic Jews of Portuguese origin and was historically spread throughout the Sephardic Jewish diaspora as a "

New Christian New Christian (; ; ; ; ; ) was a socio-religious designation and legal distinction referring to the population of former Jews, Jewish and Muslims, Muslim Conversion to Christianity, converts to Christianity in the Spanish Empire, Spanish and Po ...

" surname. The name originates from Latin ''pirum'' or ''pyrus'' (pear, pear-tree). Currently, it is one of the most common surnames in South America and Europe. It started as a

noble A noble is a member of the nobility. Noble may also refer to: Places Antarctica * Noble Glacier, King George Island * Noble Nunatak, Marie Byrd Land * Noble Peak, Wiencke Island * Noble Rocks, Graham Land Australia * Noble Island, Gr ...

Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...

toponym of the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...

, taken from the

feudal Feudalism, also known as the feudal system, was a combination of legal, economic, military, cultural, and political customs that flourished in Middle Ages, medieval Europe from the 9th to 15th centuries. Broadly defined, it was a way of struc ...

estate of Pereira, Portugal, which in Portuguese means '

pear tree Pears are fruits produced and consumed around the world, growing on a tree and harvested in late summer into mid-autumn. The pear tree and shrub are a species of genus ''Pyrus'' , in the family Rosaceae, bearing the pomaceous fruit of the sa ...

'. The variants of this name are more commonly found in other countries like Spain (Galicia) with different spellings such as '' Pereyra'' or '' Perera'', Trinidad and Tobago, India (specifically in

Goa Goa (; ; ) is a state on the southwestern coast of India within the Konkan region, geographically separated from the Deccan highlands by the Western Ghats. It is bound by the Indian states of Maharashtra to the north, and Karnataka to the ...

Kerala Kerala ( , ) is a States and union territories of India, state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile ...

and among the

Paravar Paravar (also known as Bharathar or Bharathakula Kshatriyar) is a predominantly Catholic Tamil maritime community, mainly living in the state of Tamil Nadu, and in Sri Lanka. Historically, they were inhabitants of the ''Neithal'' (coastal) lands ...

of Southern

Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is the southernmost States and union territories of India, state of India. The List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of Indi ...

), Pakistan and Sri Lanka. In France, the variant is '' Pereire''. Many Portuguese immigrants to the United States, especially

Massachusetts Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...

, chose to Americanize their surname into

Perry Perry or pear cider is an alcoholic beverage made from fermented pears, traditionally in England (particularly Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, and Worcestershire), parts of South Wales, France (especially Normandy and Anjou), Canada, Austral ...

Notable people

Politics

* Anália de Victória Pereira (1941–2009), Angolan politician * Aristides Pereira (1923–2011), Cape Verdean politician * Carlina Pereira (c. 1926 – 2011), Cape Verdean politician * Fernando "Cobo" Pereira (born 1963), officer of São Tomé and Príncipe * Gabriel Antonio Pereira (1794–1861), Uruguayan politician and President of Uruguay * António Pestana Garcia Pereira (20/21st century), Portuguese lawyer and politician * Henrique Pereira Rosa (1946–2013), politician from Guinea-Bissau * Ignatius Xavier Pereira (1888–1951), Indian Tamil-Sri Lankan businessman and politician *

José Maria Pereira Neves José is a predominantly Spanish and Portuguese language, Portuguese form of the given name Joseph. While spelled alike, this name is pronounced very differently in each of the two languages: Spanish ; Portuguese (or ). In French, the name ''J ...

(born 1960), Cape Verdean politician and Prime Minister of Cape Verde * José Pacheco Pereira (born 1949), Portuguese politician and intellectual * Sofia Pereira (born 1999), Portuguese politician *

Tomás Romero Pereira Tomás Romero Pereira (4 October 1886 – 12 August 1982) was a Paraguayan architect and politician who served as President of Paraguay from May to August of 1954. He was installed as President of Paraguay, president by Alfredo Stroessner afte ...

(1886–1982), Paraguayan politician and President of Paraguay * Venceslau Brás Pereira Gomes (1868–1966), Brazilian politician and President of Brazil * Juan Isidro Jimenes Pereyra (1846–1919), Dominican political figure * Julio César Pereyra (born 1951), the mayor of Florencio Varela, Buenos Aires, Argentina since 2003 * Pereira Silima (born 1959), Tanzanian politician

Music and dance

Alexander Pereira Alexander () is a male name of Greek origin. The most prominent bearer of the name is Alexander the Great, the king of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia who created one of the largest empires in ancient history. Variants listed here are A ...

(born 1947), head of La Scala *

Linda Perry Linda Perry (born April 15, 1965) is an American singer-songwriter, musician, and record producer. She is the lead singer and primary songwriter of 4 Non Blondes, including their 1993 hit " What's Up?". She has since founded two record label ...

(Pereira) (born 1965), American record producer, songwriter, singer * Erica Pereira, New York City Ballet soloist *

Steve Perry Stephen Ray Perry (born January 22, 1949) is an American singer and songwriter. He was the lead singer and frontman of the rock band Journey during their most successful years from 1977 to 1987, and again from 1995 to 1998. He wrote/co-wrote ...

(Pereira) (born 1949), American singer * Luciano Pereyra (born 1981), Argentine singer * Luis Pereyra (born 1965), Argentine dancer and choreographer of Tango Argentino and Argentinian folklore * Joe Perry (Pereira) (born 1950), American rock guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter * David Pereira (born 1953), Australian classical cellist *

Poppy A poppy is a flowering plant in the subfamily Papaveroideae of the family Papaveraceae. Poppies are herbaceous plants, often grown for their colourful flowers. One species of poppy, '' Papaver somniferum'', is the source of the narcotic drug ...

(Moriah Rose Pereira) (born 1995), American singer and YouTube personality * Linn da Quebrada (Lina Pereira), Brazilian singer, actor, and screenwriter * Tina Pereira, Trinidadian-Canadian ballet dancer * Pocah (Viviane de Queiroz Pereira), Brazilian singer and television personality * Kario Marcel Pereira-Bailey Aruban-born American actor known for his roles in Blue Bloods, Dead Ringers, Chicago Fire and others

Sports

Adrian Pereira Adrian Nilsen Pereira (born 31 August 1999) is a Norwegian professional Association football, footballer who plays as a Defender (association football)#Full-back, left-back for Norwegian club Rosenborg BK, Rosenborg. He is a son of former Vikin ...

(born 1999), Norwegian footballer * Agnaldo Cordeiro Pereira (born 1975), Brazilian footballer * Alex Pereira (born 1987), Brazilian kickboxer and mixed martial artist, former UFC Middleweight Champion, current UFC Light Heavyweight Champion * Alofiana Khan-Pereira (born 2001), Australian National Rugby League (NRL) player * Aloysius Pereira (1859–1935), Anglo-Indian cricketer * Álvaro Pereira (born 1985), Uruguayan football player * Ana Paula Pereira da Silva Villela (born 1997), Brazilian women's footballer *

Andreas Pereira Andreas Hugo Hoelgebaum Pereira (born 1 January 1996) is a Brazilian professional Association football, footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for club Fulham F.C., Fulham and the Brazil national football team, Brazil national team. ...

(born 1996), Brazilian footballer * Aurélio Pereira (1947–2025), Portuguese football coach and youth player scout * Bob Pereyra (born 1963), American street luge racer * Carlos Pereyra (1911–?), Argentine boxer * Daniel Pereira (born 1976), Argentine-Uruguayan footballer * Danilo Pereira (born 1991), Portuguese footballer * Darío Pereyra (born 1956), Uruguayan football player * Derrick Pereira (born 1962), Indian football player * Edward Pereira (1866–1939), English cricketer and educationalist * Everson Pereira (born 2001), Venezuelan baseball player * Gabriel Pereyra (born 1978), Argentine footballer playing in Mexico * Guillermo Pereyra (born 1980), Argentine-Italian footballer * Jackie Pereira (born 1964), Australian field hockey striker * Jair Pereira (born 1986), Mexican football player *

James Pereira James Dean Pereira (born July 17, 1983 in Maranhão) is a boxer from Brazil, who won the bronze medal in the flyweight division (– 51 kg) at the 2003 Pan American Games in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic Santo Domingo, formerly ...

(born 1983), Brazilian boxer * João José Pereira (born 1987), Portuguese triathlete * Juan Pablo Pereyra (born 1984), Argentine footballer * Márcio Pereira Monteiro (born 1962), Brazilian footballer * María del Pilar Pereyra (born 1978), Argentine swimmer * Matheus Pereira (born 1996), Brazilian footballer * Maxi Pereira, Uruguayan football player *

Mike Pereira Mike Pereira (born April 13, 1950) is a former American football official and later vice president of officiating for the National Football League (NFL) and currently the head of officiating for the United Football League (UFL). Since 2010, he h ...

, (NFL) Vice President of Officiating * Mito Pereira (born 1995), Chilean professional golfer * Nuno Miguel Soares Pereira Ribeiro Gomes, Portuguese football player * Nuno Jorge Pereira Silva Valente, Portuguese football player * Ricardo Pereira (born 1976), Portuguese football player * Ricardo Pereira (born 1993), Portuguese football player * Roberto Pereyra (born 1991), Argentine footballer * Sanson Pereira (born 1997), Indian footballer *

Shanti Pereira Veronica Shanti Pereira (born 20 September 1996) is a Singaporean track and field athlete who specialises in the 100 metres, 100 m, 200 metres, 200 m, 4 x 100 metres relay, 4 x 100 m, and 4 x 400 metres relay, 4 x 400 m. She ...

(born 1996), Singaporean athlete * T. J. Pereira (born 1976), Brazilian jockey *

Teliana Pereira Teliana Santos Pereira (born 20 July 1988) is a Brazilian former professional tennis player. On 19 April 2015, she became the first Brazilian in 27 years to win a title on the WTA Tour, beating Yaroslava Shvedova in Bogotá 7–6, 6–1. She ...

(born 1988), Brazilian tennis player *

Thiago Pereira Thiago Machado Vilela Pereira (born 26 January 1986) is a retired Brazilian international competition swimming (sport), swimmer. One of the greatest swimmers in the history of Brazil, Pereira won the silver medal in the 400-meter medley swimmi ...

(born 1986), Brazilian swimmer *

Thisara Perera Narangoda Liyanaarachchige Thisara Chirantha Perera (; born 3 April 1989), popularly known as Thisara Perera, is a former Sri Lankan international cricketer who played all formats for the national team. He also captained the team in limited-over ...

(born 1989), Sri Lankan cricketer *

Thomas Pereira Tomás Pereira (5 November 1646 – 1708) was a Portuguese Jesuit missionary who served at the court of the Kangxi Emperor in Beijing for thirty‑six years. Renowned as a musician, clockmaker and interpreter, he played a pivotal role in the ...

(born 1973), Norwegian footballer *

Vítor Melo Pereira Vítor Manuel Melo Pereira (born 21 April 1957) is a retired association football, football Referee (association football), referee from Portugal, best known for supervising four matches at the FIFA World Cup: two in 1998 FIFA World Cup, 1998 and ...

(born 1957), Portuguese football referee * Viviane Pereira (born 1993), Brazilian mixed martial artist * Wanderley Pereira (born 2001), Brazilian boxer

Others

* Pereire brothers, 19th-century French financiers of Sephardi origin * Baron Diego Pereira D' Aguilar, 1st Baron d'Aguilar (1699–1759), Portuguese-born English financier * Baron Ephraim Lopes Pereira D'Aguilar, 2nd Baron d'Aguilar (1739–1802), English financier * Audrey Brown-Pereira, Cook Islands diplomat * Benedict Pereira, Spanish Jesuit priest *

Brendan Pereira Brendan Conan Pereira (23 November 1928 – 21 July 2024), also known as BCP, was an Indian advertising Creative Director. Background Brendan Pereira was born on 23 November 1928, to Albert and Louise Pereira. He attended St. Isabel's and St. ...

, Indian advertising executive * Cecil Pereira (1869–1942), British Army officer, commanded 2nd Division during World War I * Duarte Pacheco Pereira, Portuguese explorer * E. O. Eustace Pereira, Sri Lankan Burgher engineer and academic, Vice Chancellor of the University of Ceylon * Fernando Pereira, Dutch photographer * Florent Pereira (1952–2020), Indian journalist and film actor *

Francisco de Assis Pereira Francisco de Assis Pereira (born November 29, 1967), also known as "O Maníaco do Parque" ("The Park Maniac"), is a Brazilian serial killer. He was arrested in 1998 for the rape and murder of 11 women and for assaulting nine others in a São Paul ...

, Brazilian serial killer * Galeote Pereira, 16th-century Portuguese soldier, trader and travel writer (China) * George Pereira, British explorer of Central Asia, diplomat, general and author * Hal Pereira (1905–1983), American production designer and architect * Henry Pereira (1845–1926), Anglican Suffragan bishop *

Henry Pereira Mendes Henry Pereira Mendes (, 13 April 1852 – 21 October 1937), was an American rabbi who was born in Birmingham, England and died in New York City. He was also known as Haim Pereira Mendes. Family history and education Henry Pereira Mendes was bor ...

(1852–1937), American rabbi * Irene Rice Pereira (1902–1971), American abstract artist, writer, painter * Jacob Rodrigues Pereira (1715–1780), Portuguese educator, one of the inventors of manual language for the deaf * João Gilberto Prado Pereira de Oliveira (1931–2019), Brazilian musician * Jonathan Pereira (1804–1853), British pharmacologist * Julia Pereira, Brazilian model * Kevin Pereira (born 1982), American TV host * Marco Pereira (born 1950), Brazilian musician * Maria Pereira (born 1986), Portuguese bioengineering scientist *

Michaela Pereira Michaela Pereira (born August 26, 1970) is a Canadian television personality best known as being a former anchor for KTLA in Los Angeles and for the KTTV FOX11 Los Angeles morning show, ''Good Day LA''. She announced on March 28, 2013, that she ...

(born 1970), Canadian television personality * Neola Pereira (born 2000), Indian environmentalist *

Nuno Álvares Pereira '' Dom'' Nuno Álvares Pereira, OCarm (; 24 June 1360 – 1 November 1431) was a very successful Portuguese general who had a decisive role in the 1383–1385 Crisis that assured Portugal's independence from Castile. He later became a my ...

(1360–1431), canonized Portuguese medieval general * Sam Pereira (born 1950), American poet *

Simeon Anthony Pereira Simeon Anthony Pereira (19 October 1927, Sukkur, British India - 22 August 2006, Karachi) was a former archbishop of Karachi. Life Pereira was educated at St Patrick's High School, Karachi. He received his religious training at the Papal Semi ...

(1927–2006), Pakistani Catholic priest, 3rd Archbishop of Karachi * Soeiro Pereira Gomes (1901–1949), Portuguese writer * Steve Pereira (20th century), British born editor, poet and writer * Wilfred Dennis Pereira (1921–2014), British born writer *

William Pereira William Leonard Pereira (April 25, 1909 – November 13, 1985) was an American architect from Chicago, Illinois, who was noted for his Futurist architecture#Post-modern futurism, futuristic designs of landmark buildings such as the Transamer ...

(1909–1985), American architect * Abraham Israel Pereyra (died 1699), "Portuguese merchant of the Jewish nation" who lived in Amsterdam * Virginia Pereira Álvarez (1882–1947), first Venezuelan woman to study medicine in Venezuela

External links