This a most unusual surname. It is of course French at least in origin, and one of the many derivatives of the personal name Peter, normally found in France as Pierre or Perre. Perrin, Perrein, Perrel and Perrelle are diminutives of Perre, and mean Little Peter or perhaps son of Peter. The spelling as De La Perrelle suggests that there is a village or hamlet called La Perrelle or The Little Peter, and this may well be so, although we have not been able to find such a place. Peter or Pierre is from the Ancient Greek "Petros" meaning rock, and St Peter was the apostle upon which Christ is said to have relied. The name was not generally found in Northern Europe until after the famous crusades of the 12th century. These were an early form of NATO, and they attempted to seize Jerusalem from the Muslims. In this they were wholly unsuccessful, but many biblical names were subsequently brought back by survivors, and given to any subsequent children in honour of their fathers exploits. French records are notoriously poor. Most early registers were destroyed during the famous or infamous Revolution of 1792, as instruments of the secret police of King Louis XV1th. Examples which have survived tend to do so in one place only and include Pierre Alexis Perrelle who married Marie Dagneau on September 1st 1761 at St Germain en Laye, Seine-et-Oise, and Louise Perrelle who married Victor Vdry at the same place on May 10th 1803.

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