Boy Old & New Testament Known
Perez
divided
פֶּ֫רֶץ Φάρες pe.rets
Perez (Hebrew: פֶּ֫רֶץ, pe.rets) means “divided”, by traditional interpretation. It appears in 15 verses across 7 books of the Bible. In 2025 it was given to 7 children in the United States. Use is rising. Appears with Amariah in Nehemiah 11.
The bearer in scripture
One person in scripture bears this name.
-
Perez
son of Judah; father of Hezron; father of Hamul
Scripture against society
The two measures, side by side
At a glance
- Verses
- 15 across 7 books
- Bearers
- 1 one person only
- Testament
- Both
- Era
- Patriarchal
Using it today
Based on 2025 births across the United States.
| Measure | Value | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Given in 2025 | 7 | Rising |
| All-time total | 591 | Since records begin in 1880 |
| Peak | 23 in 1991 | Its highest year on record |
In scripture
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| First appears | Genesis 38:29 |
| Last appears | Luke 3:33 |
| Cross-references | 232 linked passages |
Names connected to this one
- Zerah attested sibling Named in scripture as a sibling of Perez.
- Hezron co-occurrence Appears with Hezron in Luke 3.
- Hamul co-occurrence Appears with Hamul in Genesis 46.
- Tamar co-occurrence Appears with Tamar in Matthew 1.
- Ram co-occurrence Appears with Ram in Luke 3.
- Zerah co-occurrence Appears with Zerah in Genesis 46.
- Athaiah co-occurrence Appears with Athaiah in Nehemiah 11.
- Amariah co-occurrence Appears with Amariah in Nehemiah 11.
Origin & meaning
A man of the tribe of Judah living at the time of Egypt and Wilderness, first mentioned at Gen.38.29;
son of: Judah (H3063) and Tamar (H8559);
brother of: Zerah (H2226I);
half-brother of: Er (H6147), Onan (H0209) and Shelah (H7956);
father of: Hezron (H2696H) and Hamul (H2538)
§ Perez or Pharez = "breach"
twin son with Zarah of Judah by Tamar and ancestor of two families of Judah, the Hezronites and Hamulites; from the Hezronites came the royal line of David and Christ
Perez, son of Judah and Tamar, was an ancestor of King David and Jesus Christ.
The biblical story
Perez was the son of Judah and Tamar, born in unusual circumstances described in Genesis 38. He was the twin brother of Zerah and was named Perez (meaning "breach" or "breaking forth") because he broke out first during the delivery (Gen.38.29). Perez became the ancestor of a prominent clan within the tribe of Judah (Num.26.20-21). He is mentioned in the genealogy of King David (Rut.4.12,18; 1Ch.2.4-5) and is an ancestor of several notable figures, including Hezron, Caleb, and Nahshon (1Ch.2.5,9,10). The descendants of Perez were among those who settled in Jerusalem after the Babylonian exile (Neh.11.4,6). Most significantly, Perez is listed in the genealogies of Jesus Christ in both Mat.1.3 and Luk.3.33, highlighting his important role in the lineage of the Messiah.
Key verses
Perez appears in 15 verses. Here are some of the most notable:
-
And it came to pass, as he drew back his hand, that, behold, his brother came out: and she said, How hast thou broken forth? this breach be upon thee: therefore his name was called Pharez.
Genesis 38:29 -
And the sons of Judah; Er, and Onan, and Shelah, and Pharez, and Zerah: but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan. And the sons of Pharez were Hezron and Hamul.
Genesis 46:12 -
And the sons of Judah after their families were; of Shelah, the family of the Shelanites: of Pharez, the family of the Pharzites: of Zerah, the family of the Zarhites.
Numbers 26:20 -
And the sons of Pharez were; of Hezron, the family of the Hezronites: of Hamul, the family of the Hamulites.
Numbers 26:21 -
And let thy house be like the house of Pharez, whom Tamar bare unto Judah, of the seed which the Lord shall give thee of this young woman.
Ruth 4:12
Show all 15 references
Genesis (2)
- Genesis 38:29
- Genesis 46:12
Numbers (2)
- Numbers 26:20
- Numbers 26:21
Ruth (2)
- Ruth 4:12
- Ruth 4:18
1 Chronicles (5)
- 1 Chronicles 2:4
- 1 Chronicles 2:5
- 1 Chronicles 4:1
- 1 Chronicles 9:4
- 1 Chronicles 27:3
Nehemiah (2)
- Nehemiah 11:4
- Nehemiah 11:6
Matthew (1)
- Matthew 1:3
Luke (1)
- Luke 3:33