The Pearson surname
In the 2010 U.S. Census, 101,836 people carried this name — #308 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 2,900 people counted. That is up 3% from 98,728 in 2000.
What the name means
The meaning of the Pearson surname
A patronymic surname transferred from the given name.
From Piers + -son.
From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Pearson» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.
In Ireland’s birth registers, 1890
Ireland registered 31 births for the Pearson name in 1890.
Most were registered in Ulster. By the Registrar-General’s own method — births multiplied by 44.38 — that is about 1,400 people bearing the name in Ireland at the time. 5 of them were indexed under other spellings of the name. The Registrar-General’s note on the name: “Antrim and Dublin.”
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they were born, 1890
Registrar-General for Ireland, «Special Report on Surnames in Ireland» (R. E. Matheson, 1894), births index of 1890 — public domain.
In Argentina’s national register
At least 121 people named Pearson live in Argentina.
RENAPER only publishes a name in a province when more than ten people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in City of Buenos Aires.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they live today
RENAPER (National Registry of Persons, Argentina), surnames of residents by province, December 2021 — CC BY 4.0.
In Switzerland’s population statistics
72 people named Pearson live in Switzerland.
They live in 7 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 France’s civil register
France’s register of deaths holds 59 people named Pearson.
Most of them — 33 — were born outside France. Those born in France came from 12 départements, most often Saône-et-Loire.
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 Poland’s population register
30 people named Pearson have a registered home in Poland.
Of the 106 in Poland’s national register, these are the ones with a permanent address on file. They live in 6 of Poland’s 16 voivodeships, most of all in Masovian.
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
142 people named Pearson 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
Pearson in American newspapers,
1844–1959.
Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 581,968 pages in all carry the name.
Who carried it
People named Pearson,
with a public archive behind them.
-
John Pearson 1613–1686 · bishop -
Jane Pearson 1735–1816 · Christian minister -
George Pearson 1751–1828 · physician -
Edward Pearson 1756–1811 · cleric -
William Pearson 1767–1847 · astronomer
Wikidata and Wikimedia Commons (CC0) · 195 lives in all are documented under this name.
Nearby in the index
Surnames next to Pearson.
When the index is not enough
This page says where Pearson 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.