Explore the Family Name Pershing
The meaning of Pershing
Americanized form of German Pfersching: metonymic occupational name for a grower or seller of peaches, from Middle High German pfersich ‘peach’ (of Latin origin; see Persico). The surname Pfersching is very rare in Germany, where it is found in Baden-Württemberg. In the past it was also found in Alsace, France, but has died out there. History: General John Pershing (1860–1948), the commander of US forces in WWI, was descended from Alsatian Huguenots whose surname was originally Pförsching (this form, if correct, is no longer extant) or Pfersching. The name of the Huguenot immigrant Frederick Pershing, who arrived at Philadelphia, PA, in 1749 on the Jacob, is listed in the (US) National Huguenot Society’s register of qualified Huguenot ancestors (also as Frédéric or Friedrich Pförsching).
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Pershing in the United States?
According to the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname 'Pershing' saw a slight decrease between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it ranked 21,880 in the nation but dropped to 22,436 by 2010, a change of -2.54%. Despite this dip in ranking, the actual count of individuals with the Pershing surname increased from 1,107 to 1,147, a growth of 3.61%. The proportion per 100,000 people also decreased slightly from 0.41 to 0.39 during this period.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #21,880 | #22,436 | -2.54% |
| Count | 1,107 | 1,147 | 3.61% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.41 | 0.39 | -4.88% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Pershing
The Decennial U.S. Census data on ethnicity shows that individuals with the surname 'Pershing' predominantly identify as White, although the percentage decreased slightly from 96.03% in 2000 to 94.94% in 2010. During the same period, those identifying as having two or more races saw a significant increase from 0.81% to 1.66%. While there were no Asian/Pacific Islander Pershings recorded in 2000, by 2010 they made up 0.61% of the Pershings. Meanwhile, the proportion of Pershings identifying as Hispanic decreased from 2.35% to 2.18%, and no Black Pershings were recorded in 2010, compared to 0.54% in 2000. No American Indian and Alaskan Native Pershings were recorded in either year.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 96.03% | 94.94% | -1.14% |
| Hispanic | 2.35% | 2.18% | -7.23% |
| Two or More Races | 0.81% | 1.66% | 104.94% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 0.61% | 0% |
| Black | 0.54% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |