English surname variant of Perry, from Old English 'pirige' meaning pear tree.
Peary is an English surname variant of Perry, from Old English pirige meaning pear tree. That links the name to the natural world in a quiet, rural way, the kind of botanical origin common in older English surnames.
As with many names from trees and landscapes, the meaning has a calm sturdiness that survives even when the original occupational or locational context fades. In modern use, Peary feels uncommon, brisk, and lightly vintage. It has the short, crisp sound of a surname that can also work as a given name, and the tree-based origin gives it a soft undercurrent of growth and rootedness.
It sounds plainspoken but not dull, with a subtle old-fashioned charm. Peary feels like a name that belongs to orchards, hedgerows, and patient continuity.