Surname Piers - Meaning and Origin
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Piers: What does the surname Piers mean?
The last name Piers is an English surname. It is derived from a personal name, which was in turn derived from the Old French piers, meaning “rock” or “stone”. This reflects an occupational name for someone who worked with stone, such as a mason or a quarryman. It could also have referred to someone who lived near a prominent outcrop of rock.
The last name Piers is first recorded in England in the mid 13th century. It is thought to have been brought to the country by Norman immigrants, as the Normans of England used the name Pierrois. It has since spread to other countries, such as the United States. The earliest American record of the surname comes in the case of Joseph Piers, who was living in Virginia in 1679.
Throughout history, a variety of different spellings of the name have been used, including Piers, Pierce, Piercee, Pierse, and Percy. Many of these spellings can still be found today, particularly in the United States. Regardless of the spelling used, the last name Piers carries a unique origin, revealing the stonemason or quarryman who was its original bearer.
Order DNA origin analysisPiers: Where does the name Piers come from?
The last name Piers is of English origin and can be found most commonly in England and other parts of the British Isles. According to the US Census in 2020, there were approximately 26,672 individuals with the last name Piers living in the United States.
Piers is often derived from the French personal name Pierre, which was brought to the British Isles in the wake of the Norman Conquest of 1066. It is believed that the last name Piers could have developed as a nickname for a person who looks like a rock, since the name Pierre is derived from the Latin word petra, meaning stone.
Today, the last name Piers can also be found in other parts of the world, including the Americas. Many migrated to Canada, the Carribean, and Latin America, due to political and economic turmoil in the UK in the 19th and 20th centuries. The last name Piers is also fairly common in Central and Eastern Europe, especially in countries like Poland and Germany.
In summary, the last name Piers is of British origin, but can be found across Europe, the Americas, and other parts of the world. It is most commonly encountered in the United Kingdom and its former colonies.
Variations of the surname Piers
The surname Piers is a patronymic surname derived from the personal name Peter or Pierre. Variants and spellings of the surname include Peirce, Pearce, Pierce, Peerce, Peers, Piercy, Pearse, Peirs, and Piere. It is one of the most common surnames in the English language.
The surname is also found among numerous ethnic groups, such as the Dutch, Flemish, and Germanic people. In Flemish, Dutch, and German, the surname is spelled Peirs. In the French language, there are a number of possible spellings, such as Piers, Pierres, Piere, Pierro, Pierrot, and Pierreson. In the Italian language, the surname could be spelled Piers, Pieri, Piero, Peri, and Pierozzi.
In Ireland, various forms of the Piers surname are found, with Pierce, Pearse, Peirce, Perce, Peers, and Peirs being the more common variants. In Scotland, the surname is spelled Peres, Peirs, Pearse, and Pierce. In Germany, the Piers surname is spelled Pfirsich.
In the United States, the Piers surname is the 98th most common surname. Variants of the surname in the U.S. include Pierson, Piersol, Peery, and Peirce. In Canada, the Piers surname is found in the Ontario region, and also among French-Canadians. Possible variants for this surname in Canada include Pierse, Pearce, and Pearson.
The Piers surname is also found in other countries around the world, including Australia, New Zealand, India, Pakistan, and South Africa. It is a very popular surname and is found with various spellings and surnames of the same origin.
Famous people with the name Piers
- Piers Morgan: British television presenter, journalist, writing for the Daily Mail and host of Good Morning Britain.
- Piers Burke: British actor and television presenter best known for presenting BBC2 reality show, ‘The Hotel Inspector’.
- Piers Linney: British entrepreneur and former Dragon on BBC 2’s ‘Dragons Den’.
- Piers Linfield: English hedge fund manager and co-chairman of the UK's Conservative Party.
- Piers Courage: British racing driver who competed in Formula One from 1969 to 1970.
- Piers Stevens: British sculptor and ceramicist based in London.
- Piers Thynne: English MP and landowner in the West Country.
- Piers Blofeld: British historian and author known for his books on British Indian History.
- Piers Sellers: British astronaut and British Director of the Earth Science and Exploration Division at NASA.
- Piers Torday: British author and former actor most notable for his post-apocalyptic novel series, ‘The Last Wild’ trilogy.