2000
#186
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 136,517
First available Census row
Per 100,000 50.61
Common Last name
Pierce
An English occupational surname referring to someone who worked as a stonecutter or mason.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 151,685 Americans carry the last name Pierce. That puts it at #213 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 44.25 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,260 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pierce 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Pierce with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
152K
1 in 2,260
Census rank
#213
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
44.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
132K
common in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 132,277 bearers of the surname Pierce in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 44.25 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 213th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pierce, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.8%. The next largest groups are Black (12.5%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pierce
The surname Pierce has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old French word "percer," which means "to pierce" or "to bore through." This is likely a reference to an occupation or trade involving piercing, such as a maker of tools or weapons.
The name first appeared in various records and documents from the 12th and 13th centuries, often spelled as "Peerce," "Peerce," or "Peirse." One of the earliest known references is in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1195, which mentions a William Perce.
In the Domesday Book, a landmark survey conducted in 1086 by order of William the Conqueror, there are several entries that possibly relate to the name, including "Perci" and "Perci de Hamtona" (Percys of Southampton).
A notable bearer of the name was Sir Henry Pierce (c. 1388-1428), who served as a distinguished military commander during the Hundred Years' War. He was knighted for his bravery in the Battle of Agincourt in 1415.
Another prominent figure was Richard Peirse (c. 1560-1633), an English explorer and sea captain who is credited with being one of the earliest English settlers in Newfoundland, Canada.
In the 16th century, the name was also found in various places across England, including the village of Peercebridge in Dorset, which may have derived its name from the surname.
Other notable individuals with the surname Pierce include:
1. Benjamin Pierce (1757-1839), an American Revolutionary War soldier and politician from Massachusetts.
2. Franklin Pierce (1804-1869), the 14th President of the United States, serving from 1853 to 1857.
3. Thomas Mabbott Pierce (1805-1876), an American jurist and diplomat who served as the U.S. Minister to Hawaii.
4. Edward Loring Pierce (1825-1897), an American mathematician and logician, known for his work in geometry and logic.
5. Robert Peirce (1924-2000), a British actor best known for his roles in television series such as "The Avengers" and "Doctor Who."
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pierce
Among Census respondents with the surname Pierce, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.8%. The next largest groups are Black (12.5%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Pierce 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 Pierce surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White77.8% · 102,946
- Black or African American12.5% · 16,473
- Two or more races4.5% · 5,910
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 4,763
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 1,258
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 927
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pierce
Pierce 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
#202
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 138,629
+2,112 bearers (+1.5%)
Per 100,000 47.00
Rank movement Down 16 places
2020
#213
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 132,277
-6,352 bearers (-4.6%)
Per 100,000 44.25
Rank movement Down 11 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #186 | 136,517 | 50.61 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #202 | 138,629 | 47.00 | +2,112 bearers (+1.5%) | Down 16 places |
| 2020 | #213 | 132,277 | 44.25 | -6,352 bearers (-4.6%) | Down 11 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 Pierce 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 | #202 | #213 | -5.4% |
| Count | 138,629 | 132,277 | -4.6% |
| Per 100K | 47.00 | 44.25 | -5.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pierce bearers went from 138,629 to 132,277 (-4.6% change). The surname moved down 11 positions in the national ranking, going from #202 to #213.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Pierce
FAQ
Pierce surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pierce?
Name Census estimates that about 151,685 living Americans carry the surname Pierce. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,260 residents.
How common is Pierce?
Pierce ranks #213 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Common." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 44.25 per 100,000 residents, which is about 44 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 132,277 people with the surname Pierce. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (151,685), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 44.25 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 44.25 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 44 of them to have the surname Pierce.
Has Pierce become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pierce went from 138,629 recorded bearers to 132,277. That is a decrease of 6,352 (-4.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #202 to #213.
What does the Census say about the background of Pierce?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pierce, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.8%. The next largest groups are Black (12.5%) and Two or More Races (4.5%). 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 Pierce in the 2020 Census, accounting for 77.8% (102,946 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pierce appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (77.8%), Black (12.5%), Two or More Races (4.5%). 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 Pierce (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 Pierce mean?
An English occupational surname referring to someone who worked as a stonecutter or mason. 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 Pierce (44.25 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 Pierce?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.