Perera (Sinhala: පෙරේරා) is a common surname found in Sri Lanka and the Iberian Peninsula. The name was introduced in Sri Lanka by the Portuguese during the period of Portuguese Ceylon, and it derives from the common Portuguese surname Pereira (meaning pear tree). There are other variants in the Iberian Peninsula: Perer (Catalan), Perero, Pereros (Extremadura, Salamanca and Valladolid), Pereyra, Pereyras, Das Pereiras, Paraira (Portuguese), Pereire, Pereyre (Pyrenees), Pereiro, Pereiros (Galician).
General
- Augurio Perera, Spanish pioneer of lawn tennis and a founder of the world's first tennis club
- Ajith C. S. Perera, Sri Lankan academic, manager and cricket umpire
- Anura C. Perera, Sri Lankan American Sinhala science writer and astronomer
- Andiris Perera Dharmagunawardhana, Sri Lankan businessman, philanthropist and pioneer of the Buddhist revival movement
- Cheryl Perera (born 1986), Sri Lankan Canadian children's rights activist
- Dhammika Perera, Sri Lankan businessman, philanthropist, and politician. He is one of the wealthiest people in Sri Lanka.
- Elmo Noel Joseph Perera (1932-2015), 5th Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Galle
- Frederica Perera (born 1941), American environmental health scientist
- Izidor Perera-Matić, Croatian physician and partisan during World War II
- Lionello Perera, Italian-American banker and philanthropist
- Nadeeka Perera, Sri Lankan model
- Sylvia Brinton Perera, Jungian psychoanalyst and author
Arts
- Algama Koralalage Lionel Kumaradasa Perera (1935-2008), Sri Lankan Sinhala musician and composer
- Camillus Perera, Sri Lankan cartoonist
- Chandralekha Perera, Sri Lankan Sinhala pop vocalist
- H. A. Perera, Sri Lankan actor
- J. A. Milton Perera, Sri Lankan singer
- Ladislaus Perera Ranasinghe (1913-1983), Sri Lankan Sinhala actor
- Lahiru Perera, Sri Lankan Sinhala musician, music producer
- Mahendra Perera, Sri Lankan Sinhala actor
- Mary Felicia Perera (born 1944), Sri Lankan Sinhala cinema actress
- Mirihana Arachchige Nanda Perera, Sri Lankan singer
- Nalin Perera (born 1969), Sri Lankan Sinhala singer-songwriter
- Ranasinghe Arachchige Chandrasena Perera, Sri Lankan musician
- Shirley Perera, Sri Lankan radio personality
- Wannakulawattawaduge Don Albert Perera, Sri Lankan singer
- Dennis Perera, Sri Lankan film director
- Rukshan Perera, Sri Lankan Sinhala singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer
- Sunil Perera, Sri Lankan Sinhala vocalist, guitarist, songwriter and composer
- Vicumpriya Perera, Sri Lankan Sinhala lyricist, poet, and music producer
- Koddul Arachchige Wilson Perera (1926-2006), Sri Lankan Sinhala director
Politics, military and state officials
- Alexander Perera Jayasuriya (1901-1980), Sri Lankan Sinhala MP and Cabinet Minister
- Andrew Ranjan Perera, Sri Lankan judge
- Christopher Allan Hector Perera Jayawardena, Sri Lankan Sinhala army officer
- Cyril E. S. Perera (1892-1968), Sri Lankan Sinhala member of the Ceylon House of Representatives
- Denis Perera, Sri Lankan Army officer
- Dick Perera, 6th Commander of the Sri Lanka Air Force
- Donald Perera, Sri Lankan Air Force officer
- Edmund Walter Perera Seneviratne Jayawardena, Sri Lankan Sinhala lawyer and diplomat
- Edward George Perera Jayetileke, Chief Justice of Sri Lanka from 1950-1952
- E. W. Perera, Sri Lankan politician
- Edwin Aloysius Perera Wijeyeratne, Sri Lankan politician and diplomat
- Ernest Perera (1932-2013), Inspector-General of Sri Lanka Police from 1988-1993
- Felix Perera, Sri Lankan politician
- Felix Stanley Christopher Perera Kalpage (died 2000), Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the United Nations from 1991-1994
- Henry Perera, 8th Commander of the Sri Lanka Navy
- Janaka Perera, Sri Lankan General and politician
- Jayantha Perera, 19th Commander of the Sri Lanka Navy
- Joseph Michael Perera, 24th Minister of Home Affairs of Sri Lanka
- Jude Perera, member for Cranbourne District of Victorian Legislative Assembly, Australia
- M. J. Perera, Sri Lankan high-civil servant
- Monath Perera, Sri Lankan Sinhala Air Force fighter pilot
- Neomal Perera, Sri Lankan politician
- Noemí Santana Perera, a member of the Podemos party of Spain
- N. M. Perera, Sri Lankan politician
- Reginald Perera (1915-1977), Sri Lankan Sinhala Trotskyist
- Roberto Smith Perera, Venezuelan politician
- Rohini Perera Marasinghe, Puisne Justice of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka
- Selina Perera (1909-1986), Sri Lankan Sinhala Trotskyist
- Don Stanley Ernest Perera Rajapakse Senanayake , Inspector-General of Sri Lanka Police from 1970-1978
- Sumedha Perera, Sri Lankan Sinhala army major general
- Theodore Duncan Perera, Sri Lankan Sinhala civil servant
- Victor Perera, Governor of Northern Province, Sri Lanka from July 2008 – October 2008
Sports
- Amila Perera, Sri Lankan cricketer
- Augurio Perera, Anglo-Spanish tennis player
- Bathiya Perera, Sri Lankan cricketer
- Chandrishan Perera (1961-2021), Sri Lankan Sinhala rugby union player, coach, commentator, journalist, lawyer and administrator
- Derek Perera, Sri Lankan Canadian cricketer
- Dilruwan Perera, Sri Lankan cricketer
- Domènec Balmanya Perera, Spanish footballer
- Duminda Perera, Sri Lankan cricketer
- Franck Perera, French race car driver
- Gamini Perera, Sri Lankan cricketer
- Hasini Perera (born 1995), Sri Lankan Sinhala cricketer
- João Manuel Perera Junqueira, Portuguese runner
- José Jesús Perera, Spanish footballer
- Kalana Perera, Sri Lankan Cricketer
- Kusal Perera, Sri Lankan Cricketer
- Mahesh Perera, Sri Lankan Sinhala Olympic hurdler
- Nimesh Perera, Sri Lankan cricketer
- Peter Perera, Sri Lankan cricketer
- Ruchira Perera, Sri Lankan cricketer
- S. Perera (Old Cambrians cricketer), Sri Lankan cricketer
- Suresh Perera, Sri Lankan cricketer
- Thisara Perera, Sri Lankan cricketer
- Viraj Perera, Sri Lankan cricketer
- Wimalasena Perera (born 1945), Sri Lankan Sinhala long-distance runner