''Perch'' pronounced is a surname.
Origins
There is considerable confusion as to the origins of the surname, which has been recorded as ''Pearch'', ''Pearche'', ''Perch'', ''Perche'', ''Porch'' and possibly other variants. It was probably topographical or occupational, and as such would have described either somebody who possessed a ''perche'' of land (representing an area of land large enough to support a family), or who was a measurer of perches, a surveyor or land agent. However it is also possible that the name described a fisherman, one who professionally caught the freshwater fish known as the perch. Before the 14th century, large areas of
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
and particularly in
East Anglia
East Anglia is an area in the East of England, often defined as including the counties of Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire. The name derives from the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of the East Angles, a people whose name originated in Anglia, in ...
were permanently under water, and today's fens are what remains. There was in consequence a large inland fishing industry, that gradually died out over five hundred years. Another possibility is that the name is associated with the early textile industry, a ''perche'' being a frame used for drying cloth, whilst it was also a term used in stage coaches, but this was probably too late to influence the origin of the name.
A coat of arms associated with the name has the blazon of a red field charged with a fesses between three crosses, all silver. It is unclear when the surname was first recorded but surviving church registers of the city of
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
include
Hugh Perche who married
Elizabeth Chamberlen at
St Margaret's, Westminster
The Church of St Margaret, Westminster Abbey, is in the grounds of Westminster Abbey on Parliament Square, London, England. It is dedicated to Margaret of Antioch, and forms part of a single World Heritage Site with the Palace of Westminster a ...
on April 23, 1559, and
Margery Pearch who married Walter Hill at
St Giles Cripplegate
St Giles-without-Cripplegate is an Anglican church in the City of London, located on Fore Street within the modern Barbican complex. When built it stood without (that is, outside) the city wall, near the Cripplegate. The church is dedicated to S ...
, on August 12, 1633.
People
* Floyd Anthony Perch (b. 1959), Jamaican musician known as
Papa Kojak.
*
James Perch
James Robert Perch (born 28 September 1985) is an English professional footballer who plays for Mansfield Town. Perch is versatile and has covered many positions in both defence and across midfield. However, he is usually deployed at right back. ...
(b. 1985), English footballer.
*
Rebecca De Mornay
Rebecca De Mornay (born Rebecca Jane Pearch; August 29, 1959) is an American actress and producer. Her breakthrough film role came in 1983, when she starred as Lana in ''Risky Business''. She is known for her role as Debby Huston in the Neil S ...
(real name Rebecca Pearch), American actress.
*
Katharina Perch-Nielsen, Swiss orienteering competitor.
See also
*
Perch (disambiguation) Perch may refer to:
*Perch (surname), a surname (and list of people with that name)
*Perch (unit), unit of measure for length, area, or volume
* Perch SSSI a Site of Special Scientific Interest in Somerset, England
*Perch (equilibristic), an equili ...
*
Perch
Perch is a common name for fish of the genus ''Perca'', freshwater gamefish belonging to the family Percidae. The perch, of which three species occur in different geographical areas, lend their name to a large order of vertebrates: the Percif ...
References
External links
surname.db: Perchsurnameanalysis.com: Perch
{{DEFAULTSORT:Perch
English-language surnames