Explore the Family Name Pierce
The meaning of Pierce
1. English, Welsh, and Irish: from the Anglo-Norman French and Middle English personal name Piers, Peres, Peris, an Old French nominative of Pierre or Per, the French form of Peter. Pierce is especially frequent in northwestern Wales and Lancashire, while Pearce is the more common spelling in the rest of England. In Ireland Pierce and Pearse represent a shortened Anglicized form of Gaelic Mac Piarais ‘son of Piaras’, a Gaelicized form of Piers. 2. Americanized form of some similar-sounding Jewish surname. History: Franklin Pierce (1804–69), 14th president of the US, was born in Hillsborough, NH, on the New England frontier. His English ancestor Thomas Pierce emigrated to Charlestown, MA, in 1633/4.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Pierce in the United States?
Based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname "Pierce" has seen a shift in its national popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it was ranked as the 186th most common surname, while by 2010, it had slipped to 202nd place, marking an -8.6% change in rank. Despite this slight decline in ranking, the actual count of individuals with the Pierce surname increased from 136,517 in 2000 to 138,629 in 2010, reflecting a growth of 1.55%. This indicates that the surname's proportion per 100k individuals also experienced a decrease from 50.61 in 2000 to 47.0 in 2010, showing a -7.13% change.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #186 | #202 | -8.6% |
| Count | 136,517 | 138,629 | 1.55% |
| Proportion per 100k | 50.61 | 47 | -7.13% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Pierce
In terms of ethnicity, the distribution among those with the surname "Pierce" also showed notable shifts according to the Decennial U.S. Census data. The largest increase was seen within the Hispanic community which rose from 1.64% in 2000 to 2.47% in 2010, marking a 50.61% increase. Those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander and two or more races also saw significant increases of 32.50% and 30.43%, respectively. Meanwhile, the proportion of Whites decreased slightly from 82.72% in 2000 to 80.98% in 2010, a -2.10% change. The representation of Blacks modestly increased by 1.82%, and American Indian and Alaskan Natives saw a small increase of 4.95%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 82.72% | 80.98% | -2.1% |
| Black | 12.63% | 12.86% | 1.82% |
| Hispanic | 1.64% | 2.47% | 50.61% |
| Two or More Races | 1.61% | 2.1% | 30.43% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 1.01% | 1.06% | 4.95% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.4% | 0.53% | 32.5% |
Pierce ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Pierce is British & Irish, which comprises 53.6% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (23.3%) and Eastern European (3.9%). Additional ancestries include Scandinavian, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, Nigerian, and Ashkenazi Jewish.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 53.6% |
| French & German | 23.3% |
| Eastern European | 3.9% |
| Other | 19.1% |
Possible origins of the surname Pierce
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Pierce have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 86.90% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 86.80% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 86.70% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 86.60% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 86.60% |
What Pierce haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Pierce is R-S25234, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-S25234 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-S12025 and R-L21, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Pearce, Smith, Young, Johnson, Mitchell, Brown, Taylor, White, Wilson, Miller.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Pierce surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343
Your paternal lineage may be linked to King Louis XVI
The rule of France by men of the House of Bourbon began with King Henri IV in 1589 C.E. and continued until the beheading of his direct paternal descendant King Louis XVI in 1793. Several years ago, researchers analyzed a mummified head and a blood-soaked cloth that they believed might belong to the two kings, and concluded that the royal paternal line belonged to haplogroup G. In a more recent study, however, a different set of researchers tested three living men who are direct descendants of the Bourbon kings. Their efforts revealed that the male lineage of the House of Bourbon is actually a branch of haplogroup R-M405.
Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Pierce have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Pierce" Surname 42.6%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Pierce" Surname 28.0%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Pierce" Surname 23.7%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Cat Allergy
An allergic reaction to cats, characterized by symptoms such as sneezing, itching, and difficulty breathing.
"Pierce" Surname 34.2%
23andMe Users 36.7%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Pierce?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Pierce are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition