193,124 PIERCE members around the world
Family spelling variants includes Persson, Pierson, Pearse, Perisson, Pearson, Peres, Peers, Piers, Prees, Price, Peres, Peers, Pearce
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PIERCE Family History
The English roots of this surname derive from the personal name 'Peter' (which, in turn, derives from the Greek for 'rock'). In medieval England it was more usually written as 'Piers'.
Piers has French origins and is closely related to 'Pierre', and was introduced to Britain by the Norman French at the time of the Conquest in 1066. There are at least sixteen different spellings of the surname which include Pierce, Pearce, Piers, Peers, Peres, Pearson and Pierson.
It was originally a patronymic name, meaning 'son of Peter' or 'son of Piers', and it became fixed as a hereditary surname in England by around 1400. Early bearers of the name include Richard Perys who lived in Somerset during the early 14th century, and Magota Peres-wyf, who was recorded on the 1379 Poll Tax of Yorkshire.
In Wales however, it may in some cases be a variation of 'Price', in that certain occurrences of the surname developed from the surname 'Prees' which is a contraction of the Welsh patronymic phrase 'ap Rhys' meaning 'son of Rhys'.
Mac Piarais is an Anglo-Irish variation of the surname found mainly in east Leinster.
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It’s not much but a majority of Pierce families such as my own come from Kerry as the MacPearses (Macpiarais) of Kerry were important in the Irish side of the Desmond wars .
ReplyHe is famous to our Pierce clan although does not meet the standard! :) I have been desperately trying to find his immigration or naturalization papers to show when he came to the US. Upon his death it states that he resided in the US for 43 or so years. He must have arrived as a teen and met and married Johanna Boyle or Doyle. This is what I have thus far: Stephen F Pierce was born in Ireland, the son of Jennie (possibly Mary Jane) and Frank or Francis Pierce. Stephen married Johanna Doyle (or Boyle). They had seven children in 18 years. He died on June 24, 1906, in Camden, New Jersey ..... I'm happy to pay for help in finding the county or area in Ireland where they came from. I have done DNA both on Ancestry and Uploaded to GedMatch ... My fathers kit number is A128092 John Pierce. My father is 84 this year and is desperately looking for some 'hope' that he will find more about his family roots! :) Thanks, Rebecca Pierce....
Replywilliam pearce. born 1687, hanged for wrecking 1767. cornwall england
ReplyHi i thought there was a motto with this crest though its probably different in families. I remember it ours as Loyal to the End in latin. If you know anymore let me know. Thanks Jacqueline Pierce
ReplyAreas of Origin for PIERCE
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