Find out how popular the last name Pearce is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Pearce.

Pearce, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Pearce surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Pearce in America

Pearce is the 1129th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Pearce surname appeared 31,060 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 11 people would have the surname Pearce.

We can also compare 2010 data for Pearce to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Pearce

The surname Pearce is of English origin, deriving from an old English personal name "Piers" or "Pers," which was a medieval vernacular form of the name Peter. This name was introduced to England by the Normans after the Norman Conquest in 1066. The name Piers or Pers was commonly used as a nickname for someone named Peter.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Pearce can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Piers" and "Pers." These early spellings eventually evolved into the modern form of "Pearce" by the 13th century. The name was particularly prevalent in the counties of Devon, Somerset, and Gloucestershire in the southwest of England.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Pearce was Walter Pearce, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1214. Another early bearer of the name was William Pearce, who was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Somerset in 1327.

During the Middle Ages, the surname Pearce was also associated with various place names in England, such as Pearce's Green in Oxfordshire and Pearce's Lane in Surrey. These place names likely derived from individuals with the surname Pearce who lived or owned land in those areas.

Notable individuals with the surname Pearce throughout history include:

1. Zachary Pearce (1690-1774), an English bishop and theologian who served as the Bishop of Bangor and Rochester.
2. Sir Robert Pearce (1856-1935), a British civil engineer and contractor who played a significant role in the construction of the London Underground.
3. Edward Pearce (1633-1695), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Devizes.
4. Mary Pearce (1777-1859), an English novelist and poet who wrote under the pen name "Louisa of Lorne."
5. Samuel Pearce (1766-1799), an English Baptist missionary who was one of the founders of the Baptist Missionary Society.

The surname Pearce has been carried by many individuals throughout history, originating from the old English personal name Piers or Pers, which was a vernacular form of the name Peter. Its earliest recorded instances can be traced back to the Domesday Book, and it has been associated with various place names in England, reflecting the influence and presence of individuals bearing this surname.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Pearce

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Pearce.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Pearce was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Pearce has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Pearce was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Pearce, please contact us.

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