Pierette
Feminine French diminutive form of Pierre, of Greek origin meaning "little rock".
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Pierette. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Pierette today is around 61 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Pierette births was 1959 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Pierette. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Pierette. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
1959
6 babies that year
Average age
61
years old
1959 SSA rank
#6,055
Tracked since 1959
Popularity
Pierette: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Pierette by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Pierette during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 0 | 6 | 6 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Pierette
Pierette is a French feminine diminutive form of the name Pierre, derived from the Latin name Petrus, meaning "rock" or "stone". The name has its origins in ancient Greek, where Petros was a personal name derived from the word "petra", meaning rock or stone. The name became popular in France during the Middle Ages, with the diminutive form Pierette emerging as a nickname or pet name for girls named Pierre.
The earliest known record of the name Pierette dates back to the 13th century in France. It was commonly used as a nickname for girls with names like Petronille or Pierrette. The name gained popularity during the Renaissance period, particularly in French literature and theater.
One of the earliest notable figures with the name Pierette was Pierette Vieillard, a French nun and mystic who lived in the 17th century (1607-1686). She was known for her visions and religious devotion, and her life inspired several biographies and works of art.
In the 18th century, Pierette Bourgeois (1718-1798) was a French painter and engraver, known for her portraits and genre scenes. She was one of the few female artists of her time to achieve recognition and success.
During the 19th century, the name Pierette became associated with the French artistic and literary world. Pierette Caillol (1833-1891) was a French actress and singer who performed in several operettas and comedies in Paris.
The name also gained popularity in literature, with the character Pierette featured in the 1891 French novel "Le Merle Blanc" by Alfred de Musset. The novel and its characters became iconic in French culture, further cementing the name's literary significance.
In the 20th century, Pierette Alarie (1921-2011) was a Canadian singer and actress who had a successful career in both French and English-language productions. She was a prominent figure in the Quebec entertainment industry and was awarded several honors for her contributions to the arts.
While the name Pierette has seen a decline in popularity in recent decades, it remains a charming and quintessentially French name with a rich historical and cultural heritage.
People
Pierette + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Pierette as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with P
Other first names starting with P with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Pierette: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Pierette?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Pierette going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Pierette a common name?
We classify Pierette as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 6 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Pierette most popular?
The single biggest year for Pierette was 1959, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Pierette is about 61 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Pierette a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Pierette in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.