Save Type Surname (from location) Usage English Pronounced Pron. PEHR-ee [key·IPA] Meaning & History From Old English pirige meaning "pear tree", a derivative of peru meaning "pear", itself from Latin pirum. A famous bearer was Matthew Perry (1794-1858), the American naval officer who opened Japan to the West. DetailsRelated Names Other Languages & CulturesPoirier(French) Pereira, Pereiro, Pereyra(Galician) Pereira, Pereyra(Portuguese) Given Name DescendantPerry(English) Same SpellingPerry (2) Categories fruits, trees Entry updated February 28, 2019 ·