Recorded as Pere, Lapere, Le Pere, Lepare, Lapper, the diminutive Peret, the patronymic Peres, and others, this is a surname of Anglo-French origins. According to the 'Dictionnaire Etymologique des noms de famille de France' it does mean 'father,' but whether this is a reference to a father figure in a religious sense as for instance 'The Pope', and hence a medieval nickname for an actor who played the part of the pope or a bishop in the theatres of those days, or whether it was a term of endearment, is unclear.
In England the name is thought either to originate from the above or from the word 'pere' meaning a pear tree, and hence probably a person who lived at or owned a pear orchard, or the same spelling of 'pere,' to mean a companion. From this we have the later 'peer' meaning a noble. A further confusion is that it can also be a derivative of 'Pierre', the French form of Peter, the famous Hebrew name meaning 'rock, which was largely introduced into Europe by returning Crusaders from the Holy Land in about the 12th century. Early examples of the surname recording in early surviving records include Robert le Per in the register of the Knight Templars for the county of Warwickshire in 1185, and much later Phillipe le Pere, given as being a Huguenot Protestant refugee, at the Frencg church, Threadneedle Street, in the city of London, in 1682. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.
Discovering the historical roots of pere is deeply interesting, as it takes us back to the ancestors and relatives who established this lineage. Adhering to what we know about the way surnames originated, it is possible to offer a realistic explanation of the origins of pere.
Although surnames have a specific origin at a certain time and region of the planet, many of them have spread far and wide across the world for various reasons, as is the case with the surname pere.
The historical chronicle of pere is based on a striking series of events that were led by those who have carried this surname throughout history. In the following lines, you will find everything we have been able to gather about the surname pere.
We suggest that if you want to learn more about the surname pere, try to locate it through the bibliographic sources we suggest.
It's more than likely that there have been some distinguished peres throughout human history. If you or someone you know bears the surname pere, you could potentially build illustrious lineages through your efforts and virtues.
Thanks to a significant bibliographic review, we have so far compiled information on the heraldry, history, and genealogy of pere. Accessing the archives of the town or towns where your ancestors were born and lived is, of course, a good way to trace the origins of pere.
These sources are essential for initiating the understanding of pere, and at the same time, of surnames in general.