Phares

Phares is the form of Perez used in the Greek and Latin Bibles, as well as some English translations of the New Testament (e.g., the King James Version, where it appears in genealogies such as Matthew 1:3 and Luke 3:33). The name is transliterated from the Hebrew פֶּרֶץ (Pérets), meaning "breach" or "burst forth," a reference to the circumstances of his birth.

Etymology and Biblical Story

According to Genesis 38:27–30, Phares (Perez) and his twin brother Zerah were the sons of Judah and Tamar. During Tamar's labor, Zerah reached out his hand first, and the midwife tied a crimson thread on it, but then Zerah withdrew, and Perez was born first. Thus, the name Perez was given because he "burst forth" or "made a breach" (yaḏa). The story is part of the larger narrative of Judah's family, which later led to the birth of King David and, ultimately, Jesus Christ.

Notable Bearers

Prominent figures bearing the Hebrew form Peretz or Perez include Rabbi Peretz, a medieval Torah commentator, and Yitzhak Peretz, an Israeli politician who served as Minister of Aliyah and Integration, as well as David Perez, a composer of Sephardic liturgy. Peretz is also a common Jewish surname, notably shared by the Nobel Prize-winning author Isaac Bashevis Singer and the noted columnist David Peretz. In non-Jewish contexts, Pérez is the most common surname in Spain and appears across Spanish-speaking countries, where it is a patronymic meaning "son of Pedro."

Cultural and Religious Significance

Phrez's role in the ancestry of David—and thus of Jesus according to the New Testament—grants his name special weight in Judeo-Christian traditions. According to Jewish midrash, Perez was recognized by the Shekhinah as the progenitor of the messianic line. His place in the genealogy of Jesus also means the name Phares or Pharez appears in liturgy and iconography: medieval and Renaissance artwork that depicts Jesus as the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies often includes a tree-of-Jesse filiation, where Pharez sits prominently as an intermediate link.

Today, Phares remains uncommon as a first name for newborns, largely limited to devout Christians who adopt the exact spelling of their Bible. In contrast, both Perez and the Galilean Aramaic variant Pharez see periodic use in their respective regions, while surnames Peretz and Pérez continue rank among the top patronymics in their cultures.

• Meaning: "breach," "burst forth"
• Origin: Hebrew
• Type: Biblical given name
• Usage regions: European (Bible translations wherever name appears)