Recorded in many forms including Pero, Perot, and diminutives which include Perrot, Perrott, Perrett, Parrott, Porrett, and double diminutives such as Perrotet and Perrottet, this is a surname of French origins. It derives from the male given name Pierre, from the Greek name and word "Petros", meaning rock. This given name was extremely popular throughout Christian Europe in the Middle Ages, as it was said to be bestowed by Christ as a byname on the apostle Simon bar Jonah; who as St. Peter is regarded as the founding father of the Christian Church. This followed the reported statement by Christ of, "Thou art Peter and upon this rock I will build my church". First recorded anywhere in the world as a surname in the Domesday Book of England as show below, the namebearer was a follower of William, Duke of Normandy, and was granted lands seized from the English. Other early recordings include: Ralph Perot, a witness in the Fines Court rolls of Essex in 1235, and William Poret in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire, dated 1301. John Porrett, also listed as Parrot and Porret, appears in the Oxford University Register, dated 1520, whilst other examples of the surname include Henry Albert Perrottet who was christened at St Pancras Old Church, in the city of London, on August 7th 1838. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of William Peret. This was dated 1086, in the Domesday Book of Suffolk, during the reign of King William 1, known as "The Conqueror", 1066 - 1087. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

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