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

Piercy, 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 Piercy surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Piercy in America

Piercy is the 8259th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Piercy surname appeared 4,012 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 Piercy.

We can also compare 2010 data for Piercy 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 Piercy

The surname Piercy is of English origin, derived from the Old French personal name "Pierre" or "Piers," meaning "rock" or "stone." This name gained popularity during the Norman Conquest of England in the 11th century.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Piercy can be traced back to the 12th century in various regions of England, including Yorkshire, Gloucestershire, and Worcestershire. The surname appeared in various forms, such as Piers, Pieres, Peirse, and Pearce, reflecting the regional dialects and spelling variations of the time.

One of the earliest known references to the surname Piercy can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1191, where it is recorded as "Petrus de Percia." This suggests that the name may have originated as a local surname, derived from a place name.

In the 13th century, the surname Piercy is mentioned in the Feet of Fines for Yorkshire from 1246, where it appears as "William Perecy." This document provides evidence of the surname's presence in northern England during this period.

Notable individuals with the surname Piercy include Sir Henry Piercy (1292-1363), an English soldier and landowner who served in the Scottish Wars of Independence. Another prominent figure was George Piercy (1586-1616), an English Puritan minister and writer who authored several religious works.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the surname Piercy was associated with landed gentry and nobility in various parts of England. One example is Henry Piercy, Earl of Northumberland (1564-1632), a prominent English nobleman and military commander who played a significant role in the reign of King James I.

In the 18th century, John Piercy (1710-1773) was a notable English engraver and artist who produced various etchings and engravings of landscapes and architectural subjects. Another individual with this surname was William Piercy (1768-1854), an English painter known for his portraits and historical paintings.

Throughout history, the surname Piercy has been associated with various occupations, including clergy, soldiers, artists, and landowners, reflecting the diverse backgrounds of those who bore this name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Piercy

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

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

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

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