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

Pearcy, 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 Pearcy surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Pearcy in America

Pearcy is the 11810th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Pearcy surname appeared 2,650 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Pearcy.

We can also compare 2010 data for Pearcy 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 Pearcy

The surname Pearcy has its origins in England, tracing back to the early medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English personal name "Peartric," which itself is a combination of the elements "pearl" and "ric" (meaning power or ruler). This name was initially used to refer to someone of great wealth or status.

One of the earliest records of the name Pearcy can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Pertric." This document, commissioned by William the Conqueror, was a comprehensive survey of landholdings and properties in England at the time.

By the 13th century, the name had evolved into various spellings such as "Peercy," "Pearcy," and "Persie." These variations were often used interchangeably, reflecting the fluidity of spelling conventions during that era.

The Pearcy surname is also linked to several place names in England, including Pearcy Green in Lancashire and Pearcy Bridge in Yorkshire. These locations likely took their names from early settlers or landowners bearing the Pearcy surname.

Notable individuals bearing the Pearcy surname include Sir Henry Pearcy (1292-1349), a prominent English knight who fought in the Hundred Years' War against France. Another notable figure was John Pearcy (1460-1523), a wealthy merchant and landowner in Gloucestershire.

In the 16th century, the Pearcy family established themselves as a notable gentry family in Northamptonshire. One of their most illustrious members was Sir Thomas Pearcy (1578-1648), who served as a Member of Parliament and was knighted by King James I in 1619.

The 17th century saw the birth of Sir Ralph Pearcy (1612-1683), a renowned English scholar and mathematician who made significant contributions to the field of optics. He was also a Fellow of the Royal Society.

In the literary world, the name Pearcy is perhaps most notably associated with Reverend Robert Pearcy (1705-1788), an English clergyman and poet who published several volumes of verse during his lifetime.

Throughout its history, the Pearcy surname has been borne by individuals from various walks of life, including soldiers, merchants, scholars, and clergymen, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and achievements of those who carried this name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Pearcy

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

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 Pearcy 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 Pearcy 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 Pearcy was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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