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

Pearse, 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 Pearse surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Pearse in America

Pearse is the 20926th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Pearse surname appeared 1,259 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Pearse.

We can also compare 2010 data for Pearse 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 Pearse

The surname Pearse originated in Ireland and derives from the Old Irish word 'piors' meaning 'tough' or 'brawny'. It is believed to have emerged as a descriptive surname in the 12th century, referring to someone with a strong or muscular physique.

The earliest recorded references to the name date back to the 13th century, with entries found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. One such reference mentions a Dermot Pearse, a warrior who fought alongside the Irish King Brian Boru at the Battle of Clontarf in 1014.

In the 16th century, the surname Pearse was widespread in the counties of Cork, Waterford, and Kilkenny, particularly in areas like Ballymacperse (meaning 'town of the Pearses') and Slieveperse. Variations in spelling included Piers, Peirce, and Pierse.

One notable bearer of the name was Patrick Pearse, a renowned Irish teacher, barrister, poet, writer, and revolutionary who played a pivotal role in the Easter Rising of 1916. Born in 1879, he was executed for his involvement in the rebellion against British rule at the age of 36.

Another historical figure with the surname Pearse was Henry Pearse, a 17th-century English composer and musician who served as the Master of Choristers at St. Paul's Cathedral in London. He was born around 1623 and died in 1673.

In the 18th century, Richard Pearse, an English inventor and aircraft designer, made significant contributions to the field of aviation. He was born in 1839 and is credited with designing and constructing one of the first successful heavier-than-air flying machines in 1903, predating the Wright brothers' famous flight.

Reverend Edward Pearse, born in 1633, was an English clergyman and academic who served as the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge from 1677 to 1678.

Lastly, John Pearse, born in 1579, was an English philosopher and author who wrote extensively on metaphysics and the nature of reality. His works, such as "The Discovery of a World in the Moone" (1638), explored philosophical concepts and speculative ideas.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Pearse

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!