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

Pierson, 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 Pierson surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Pierson in America

Pierson is the 1254th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Pierson surname appeared 27,983 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 9 people would have the surname Pierson.

We can also compare 2010 data for Pierson 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 Pierson

The surname PIERSON has its origins in medieval England, emerging sometime around the 12th or 13th century. It is derived from the Old French name "Piers" or "Pierre," which was a common diminutive form of the personal name "Peter." The suffix "-son" was added to indicate "son of," forming the patronymic surname PIERSON, meaning "son of Piers" or "son of Pierre."

The earliest recorded instances of the PIERSON surname can be traced back to various parts of England, including Yorkshire, Lancashire, and Norfolk. It is believed that the name may have been introduced to England during the Norman Conquest in 1066, as the French name "Pierre" was brought over by Norman settlers.

One of the earliest known references to the PIERSON surname can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which were records of landholders in England at the time. The name appears as "Piers" and "Pierson" in these rolls, indicating its widespread use during the medieval period.

In the 14th century, a prominent figure named William PIERSON was recorded as the Rector of St. Michael's Church in Coventry, England, from 1349 to 1361. This historical reference demonstrates the presence of the PIERSON surname among the clergy and educated classes of the time.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the PIERSON surname underwent various spelling variations, including PEERSON, PEIRSON, and PEIRCE, reflecting the fluid nature of surname spellings before standardization.

One of the most notable individuals with the PIERSON surname was Abraham PIERSON (1615-1678), an English-born Puritan minister who co-founded the Collegiate School, which later became Yale University. He played a significant role in the early establishment of education and religion in the American colonies.

Another prominent figure was Henry Munson PIERSON (1783-1857), an American lawyer and politician who served as a United States Senator from New York from 1825 to 1827.

In the field of literature, Mary Townsend Sharpless PIERSON (1878-1946) was an American author and educator known for her works on history and genealogy, including "The Pearson Genealogy" and "Descendants of Henry Drinker."

The PIERSON surname has also been associated with notable figures in various other fields, such as Arthur Tappan PIERSON (1837-1911), an American Presbyterian minister and author, and Merritt B. PIERSON (1824-1907), a Union Army officer during the American Civil War.

Throughout its history, the PIERSON surname has maintained a strong presence across various regions, reflecting the migration patterns and achievements of its bearers over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Pierson

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

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

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

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