Peralta
A Spanish surname from a place-name meaning “high rock” or “high hill.”
The #949 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 8,439 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Peralta is a habitational surname, taken from one of several places named Peralta in Spain and the Spanish-speaking world. The name is generally explained from Spanish pera/piedra-related place-name elements plus alta, meaning “high,” so the sense is “high rock” or “high hill.” In practice, the surname points to someone originally from a place called Peralta rather than to a personal nickname.
History
The surname is well established in Spain and also spread widely through the Spanish Empire to Latin America and the Philippines. It is common enough to appear in historical lists of Spanish surnames, and it remains especially familiar in Spanish-speaking countries and among Hispanic communities worldwide.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Peralta is also a place name in several countries, so the surname can sometimes preserve a very specific local origin.
From the historical record
“Perahtram, -rih 88. *Peraleda *Peralta 441. Perard 218. Perarnaud 195. Perathild 88. Perdignier 624. Perdikaris 565.”
— Die Personennamen, insbesondere die FamiliennamenNotable people named Peralta
- Oribe Peralta (b. 1984)
Sourced from Wikidata; linked to their Wikipedia page.