Explore the Family Name Pierre
The meaning of Pierre
French, Walloon, West Indian (mainly Haiti), and Mauritian: 1. from the personal name Pierre, French form of Peter (see also below). This is one of the most frequent surnames in Haiti (along with Jean and Joseph) and in Saint Martin. It is also established elsewhere in the West Indies (e.g. in Trinidad and Tobago, Saint Lucia, Grenada, and Bahamas). 2. from Old French pierre ‘stone, rock’ (from Latin petra, a word which is also the origin of the personal name Pierre; see Peter). It may be a topographic name denoting someone who lived on a patch of stony soil or by a large outcrop of rock, or a metonymic occupational name for a quarryman or stonemason. Compare Lapierre. Some characteristic forenames: French Andre, Jacques, Antoine, Yves, Michel, Jean Claude, Mireille, Jean Robert, Francois, Monique, Raoul, Serge.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Pierre in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Pierre has grown significantly in popularity over a decade. In 2000, it held the rank of 1379, but by 2010, it had jumped to 1026, marking a 25.6% increase. The count of individuals with the surname Pierre also rose within the same period from 23575 to 33913, experiencing an impressive growth rate of 43.85%. For every 100,000 people, there were approximately 8.74 named Pierre in 2000 and this proportion increased to 11.5 by 2010, demonstrating a rise of 31.58%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,379 | #1,026 | 25.6% |
| Count | 23,575 | 33,913 | 43.85% |
| Proportion per 100k | 8.74 | 11.5 | 31.58% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Pierre
In terms of ethnic identity, the data from the Decennial U.S. Census shows some interesting shifts between 2000 and 2010. Among those with the surname Pierre, there was a notable increase in those identifying as Black, from 76.90% to 86.74%, a change of 12.80%. Conversely, there was a significant drop in those identifying as having two or more races, falling from 9.94% to 2.23%, a decrease of 77.57%. Those who identified as White also decreased from 9.23% to 7.05%. Individuals identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander and American Indian and Alaskan Native also saw decreases, dropping by 22.50% and 24.59% respectively. The Hispanic demographic saw a small increase, rising from 2.31% to 2.75%, a change of 19.05%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black | 76.9% | 86.74% | 12.8% |
| White | 9.23% | 7.05% | -23.62% |
| Hispanic | 2.31% | 2.75% | 19.05% |
| Two or More Races | 9.94% | 2.23% | -77.57% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 1.22% | 0.92% | -24.59% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.4% | 0.31% | -22.5% |
Pierre 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 Pierre is Nigerian, which comprises 23.5% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean (15.6%) and French & German (15.0%). Additional ancestries include British & Irish, Angolan & Congolese, Spanish & Portuguese, Senegambian & Guinean, and Italian.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| Nigerian | 23.5% |
| Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean | 15.6% |
| French & German | 15.0% |
| Other | 45.9% |
Possible origins of the surname Pierre
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 Pierre have recent ancestry locations spanning a few countries, mostly in Haiti, and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Ouest Department, Haiti | 33.20% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 24.70% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 24.70% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 24.40% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 24.00% |
What Pierre 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 Pierre is E-P252, which is predominantly found among people with Sub-Saharan African ancestry. Haplogroup E-P252 is descended from haplogroup E-M96. Other common haplogroups include E-M4254 and E-U290, which are predominantly found among people with Sub-Saharan African and Sub-Saharan African ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Washington, Jefferson, Bey, Muhammad, Goins, Gooden, Alston, Charles, Hollis, Battle.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Pierre surname are: L3b1a, H, L2a1. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European and Sub-Saharan African ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins E-M96
Your paternal lineage may be linked to Ramesses III
Pharaoh Ramesses III defended Egypt in three consecutive wars during his approximately 30-year reign, but provoked dissent within his administration. Catalyzed by mounting internal strife, one of Ramesses's lesser wives, Tiye, hatched a plot to have her son, Pentawer, usurp the throne by having Ramesses III murdered along with his appointed heir. A papyrus record of the resulting trial explains that the plot failed and that all involved were tried and convicted.However, a modern CT scan of Ramesses III's mummy revealed a deep slit in his throat, reopening a case long thought closed. The embalmers went to great lengths to cover up other wounds, including fashioning a fake toe out of resin where Ramesses's real one had been hacked off, likely during a fatal attack. For thousands of years, Ramesses's burial adornments concealed the wounds that mark one of the most famous royal dramas in history. Ramesses III's paternal lineage belongs to haplogroup E-V38.
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 Pierre 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.
"Pierre" Surname 30.2%
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.
"Pierre" Surname 40.4%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Pierre" Surname 20.7%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Pierre" Surname 16.7%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Pierre?
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 Pierre are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition