2000
#13,187
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,124
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.79
Rare Last name
Pier
A surname referring to someone who lived near a pier, dock, or wharf.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,392 Americans carry the last name Pier. That puts it at #13,871 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.70 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 143,292 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pier surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
2.4K
1 in 143,292
Census rank
#13,871
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,086 bearers of the surname Pier in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.70 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13871st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pier, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.5%. The next largest groups are Black (14.0%) and Hispanic (6.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pier
The surname PIER is of English origin, derived from the Old French word "pier" meaning a stone or masonry pillar, especially one used to support a bridge or building. The name likely originated with individuals who lived near or worked on such structures.
In the 13th century, the name was recorded as "Atte Pere" in the Hundredorum Rolls of Oxfordshire, referring to someone residing near a pier or bridge support. Later spellings included "Piere" and "Pyere" in various medieval records.
One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Robert Pier, a merchant from Bristol, England, who was mentioned in the city's guild records in 1378. Another early record is of John Pier, a resident of Wiltshire, listed in the Lay Subsidy Rolls of 1333.
The surname PIER is also found in some place names, such as Piercebridge in County Durham, which derives its name from the Latin "Pons Bassus," meaning low bridge. This suggests that some individuals with the surname may have originated from or lived near this location.
Notable historical figures with the surname PIER include:
1. Gabriel Pier (c. 1530-1600), an English composer and organist during the Renaissance period.
2. William Pier (1742-1789), a British naval officer who served in the American Revolutionary War.
3. Emma Pier (1816-1892), an English author and poet known for her works on domestic life and religious themes.
4. Sir Arthur Pier (1874-1953), a British civil engineer and architect, best known for designing the iconic Pier Head buildings in Liverpool.
5. Nathaniel Pier (1898-1976), an American journalist and author who covered World War II and wrote several books on military history.
The name PIER has been present in English records for centuries, reflecting its origins as an occupational surname associated with bridge and building construction. While not as common as some other surnames, it has a rich history and has been borne by notable individuals across various fields.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pier
Among Census respondents with the surname Pier, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.5%. The next largest groups are Black (14.0%) and Hispanic (6.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Pier bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Pier surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White73.5% · 1,533
- Black or African American14.0% · 291
- Hispanic or Latino6.9% · 144
- Two or more races3.4% · 71
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.0% · 41
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pier
Pier appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#13,588
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,231
+107 bearers (+5.0%)
Per 100,000 0.76
Rank movement Down 401 places
2020
#13,871
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,086
-145 bearers (-6.5%)
Per 100,000 0.70
Rank movement Down 283 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,187 | 2,124 | 0.79 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,588 | 2,231 | 0.76 | +107 bearers (+5.0%) | Down 401 places |
| 2020 | #13,871 | 2,086 | 0.70 | -145 bearers (-6.5%) | Down 283 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Pier surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #13,588 | #13,871 | -2.1% |
| Count | 2,231 | 2,086 | -6.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.76 | 0.70 | -8.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pier bearers went from 2,231 to 2,086 (-6.5% change). The surname moved down 283 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,588 to #13,871.
FAQ
Pier surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pier?
Name Census estimates that about 2,392 living Americans carry the surname Pier. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 143,292 residents.
How common is Pier?
Pier ranks #13,871 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.70 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,086 people with the surname Pier. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,392), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.7 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.70 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Pier.
Has Pier become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pier went from 2,231 recorded bearers to 2,086. That is a decrease of 145 (-6.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #13,588 to #13,871.
What does the Census say about the background of Pier?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pier, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.5%. The next largest groups are Black (14.0%) and Hispanic (6.9%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Pier in the 2020 Census, accounting for 73.5% (1,533 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pier appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (73.5%), Black (14.0%), Hispanic (6.9%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Pier (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Pier mean?
A surname referring to someone who lived near a pier, dock, or wharf. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Pier (0.70 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people share the surname Pier?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.