The Pearce surname
In the 2010 U.S. Census, 31,060 people carried this name — #1,129 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 9,500 people counted. That is up 3% from 30,276 in 2000.
Where the name comes from
The origin of the Pearce surname
From Piers, the medieval vernacular form of Peter.
From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Pearce» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.
In France’s civil register
France’s register of deaths holds 80 people named Pearce.
Most of them — 47 — were born outside France. Those born in France came from 7 départements, most often Oise.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they were born
Fichier des personnes décédées, INSEE — Licence Ouverte 2.0 · deaths recorded in France since 1970, by place of birth.
In Switzerland’s population statistics
60 people named Pearce live in Switzerland.
They live in 8 of Switzerland’s 26 cantons, most of all in Zurich.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they live today
Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO), «Surnames of the permanent resident population by canton», 2025, opendata.swiss/en/dataset/nachnamen-der-standigen-wohnbevolkerung-nach-kanton3 · names with fewer than 3 bearers in a canton are not published.
In Poland’s population register
25 people named Pearce have a registered home in Poland.
Of the 89 in Poland’s national register, these are the ones with a permanent address on file. They live in 7 of Poland’s 16 voivodeships, most of all in Lesser Poland.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they live today
PESEL register, Ministry of Digital Affairs of Poland (dane.gov.pl) — CC0 · living people by voivodeship of permanent residence, 20 January 2026.
In the Nordic population registers
90 people named Pearce are counted in Sweden and Finland.
Sweden’s figure is from 31 December 2022, the last count Statistics Sweden published. Finland counts its citizens, at home or abroad.
Counted, by country
Own calculations based on data from Statistics Sweden (SCB), surnames with at least two bearers, 31 December 2022 — CC BY 4.0 (names with 20 or more bearers shown) · Digital and Population Data Services Agency (DVV), Finland, surname statistics, August 2026 — CC BY 4.0.
In print
Pearce in American newspapers,
1892–1948.
Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 262,196 pages in all carry the name.
Who carried it
People named Pearce,
with a public archive behind them.
-
Edward Pierce 1635–1695 · architect -
Samuel Pearce 1766–1799 · hymnwriter -
Nathaniel Pearce 1770–1851 -
Nathaniel Pearce 1779–1820 · explorer -
Abby Perry Pearce 1813–1862
Wikidata and Wikimedia Commons (CC0) · 285 lives in all are documented under this name.
Nearby in the index
Surnames next to Pearce.
- Payne 142,601 · U.S. census
- Paysse 127 · U.S. census
- Paz 25,574 · U.S. census
- Pazzaglia 117 · U.S. census
- Pe 582 · U.S. census
- Pean 434 · U.S. census
- Pearson 101,836 · U.S. census
- Pecaut 166 · U.S. census
- Pech 1,877 · U.S. census
- Pechart 153 · U.S. census
- Peche 343 · U.S. census
- Pecher 276 · U.S. census
When the index is not enough
This page says where Pearce is.
A volume says what happened to it.
Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.