Perrin
A French surname that began as a pet form of Pierre, the French form of Peter.
The #3,121 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 26,731 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Perrin is a French diminutive of Pierre, the French form of Peter. In effect, it means “little Peter” or “son of Peter,” with the ending -in used as an affectionate diminutive in French. The deeper root is Latin Petrus, from Greek Petros, “rock.”
History
The name was common in medieval France and appears in English records early enough to have become established in Britain as well. English surname writers also note related forms such as Perring and Perrins, the latter reflecting the possessive patronymic sense “Perrin’s son.” In Ireland, one Lower source connects Perrin with a Huguenot family of French origin that settled in Lisburn in the 18th century.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
19th-century surname books often grouped Perrin with other French nickname surnames like Jennin, Colin, and Marion, all built from familiar given-name pet forms.
From the historical record
“PERRIN "I the French Perin, Perrin = Pire, PERREN J P^'re, Pierre, i.e. Peter (q.v.) -|- the Ff. dim. suff. -in. John Perin. — Hund. Rolls. Perin de la Montaine.— Morte d! Arthur, X. xxxix. PERRING = Perrin (q.v.) with added -g. PERRINGS for Perrins/.”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)Notable people named Perrin
- Jean Perrin (1870–1942)
- Jacques Perrin (1941–2022)
Sourced from Wikidata; linked to their Wikipedia page.