NameCensus.

UK surname

Pearce

An English occupational surname for a person who worked as a stone mason or seller of stone.

In the 1881 census there were 27,443 people recorded with the Pearce surname, ranking it #115 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 38,141, ranked #135, down from #115 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Carmarthenshire, Wiltshire and Cornwall.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Pearce is 40,807 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 39.0%.

1881 census count

27,443

Ranked #115

Modern count

38,141

2016, ranked #135

Peak year

1999

40,807 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Pearce had 27,443 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #115 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 38,141 in 2016, ranked #135.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 39,806 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Pearce surname distribution map

The map shows where the Pearce surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Pearce surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Pearce over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 17,304 #125
1861 historical 17,024 #125
1881 historical 27,443 #115
1891 historical 30,680 #109
1901 historical 35,626 #115
1911 historical 39,806 #90
1997 modern 38,912 #117
1998 modern 40,500 #119
1999 modern 40,807 #120
2000 modern 40,550 #120
2001 modern 39,481 #120
2002 modern 40,104 #122
2003 modern 39,012 #122
2004 modern 38,818 #123
2005 modern 37,945 #125
2006 modern 37,780 #127
2007 modern 37,904 #130
2008 modern 38,016 #131
2009 modern 38,950 #130
2010 modern 39,572 #131
2011 modern 38,980 #132
2012 modern 38,071 #132
2013 modern 38,837 #132
2014 modern 38,981 #132
2015 modern 38,424 #133
2016 modern 38,141 #135

Geography

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Where Pearces are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and Portland. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Carmarthenshire, Wiltshire, Cornwall and Torfaen. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos) Glamorganshire
2 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
3 London parishes London 1
4 London parishes London 3
5 Portland Dorset

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Carmarthenshire 027 Carmarthenshire
2 Wiltshire 040 Wiltshire
3 Cornwall 027 Cornwall
4 Torfaen 003 Torfaen
5 Torfaen 001 Torfaen

Forenames

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First names often paired with Pearce

These lists show first names that appear often with the Pearce surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Pearce

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Pearce, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Pearce surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Pearce household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Pearce is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Pearce is most concentrated in decile 5 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Pearce falls in decile 6 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Pearce is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Pearce, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Pearce

The surname Pearce is of English origin, deriving from an old English personal name "Piers" or "Pers," which was a medieval vernacular form of the name Peter. This name was introduced to England by the Normans after the Norman Conquest in 1066. The name Piers or Pers was commonly used as a nickname for someone named Peter.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Pearce can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Piers" and "Pers." These early spellings eventually evolved into the modern form of "Pearce" by the 13th century. The name was particularly prevalent in the counties of Devon, Somerset, and Gloucestershire in the southwest of England.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Pearce was Walter Pearce, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1214. Another early bearer of the name was William Pearce, who was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Somerset in 1327.

During the Middle Ages, the surname Pearce was also associated with various place names in England, such as Pearce's Green in Oxfordshire and Pearce's Lane in Surrey. These place names likely derived from individuals with the surname Pearce who lived or owned land in those areas.

Notable individuals with the surname Pearce throughout history include:

1. Zachary Pearce (1690-1774), an English bishop and theologian who served as the Bishop of Bangor and Rochester. 2. Sir Robert Pearce (1856-1935), a British civil engineer and contractor who played a significant role in the construction of the London Underground. 3. Edward Pearce (1633-1695), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Devizes. 4. Mary Pearce (1777-1859), an English novelist and poet who wrote under the pen name "Louisa of Lorne." 5. Samuel Pearce (1766-1799), an English Baptist missionary who was one of the founders of the Baptist Missionary Society.

The surname Pearce has been carried by many individuals throughout history, originating from the old English personal name Piers or Pers, which was a vernacular form of the name Peter. Its earliest recorded instances can be traced back to the Domesday Book, and it has been associated with various place names in England, reflecting the influence and presence of individuals bearing this surname.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Pearce families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Pearce surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Middlesex leads with 4,025 Pearces recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.50x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 4,025 1.50x
Cornwall 2,348 7.73x
Surrey 2,025 1.55x
Gloucestershire 1,757 3.34x
Hampshire 1,438 2.61x
Wiltshire 1,351 5.69x
Devon 1,298 2.32x
Somerset 1,277 2.96x
Kent 1,098 1.20x
Yorkshire 879 0.33x
Lancashire 818 0.26x
Staffordshire 812 0.90x
Dorset 717 4.07x
Berkshire 577 2.86x
Buckinghamshire 568 3.50x
Shropshire 558 2.41x
Norfolk 555 1.35x
Warwickshire 521 0.77x
Glamorgan 473 1.01x
Essex 399 0.75x
Worcestershire 366 1.04x
Sussex 365 0.81x
Hertfordshire 348 1.88x
Monmouthshire 324 1.67x
Nottinghamshire 304 0.84x
Oxfordshire 283 1.71x
Suffolk 276 0.84x
Derbyshire 196 0.47x
Cambridgeshire 188 1.11x
Herefordshire 169 1.54x
Durham 158 0.20x
Lincolnshire 153 0.36x
Cheshire 117 0.20x
Leicestershire 85 0.29x
Bedfordshire 79 0.57x
Northumberland 67 0.17x
Royal Navy 60 1.88x
Midlothian 45 0.13x
Channel Islands 41 0.52x
Brecknockshire 40 0.75x
Northamptonshire 38 0.15x
Cumberland 36 0.16x
Carmarthenshire 32 0.28x
Montgomeryshire 32 0.52x
Lanarkshire 30 0.03x
Pembrokeshire 28 0.33x
Denbighshire 22 0.22x
Anglesey 19 0.40x
Caernarfonshire 15 0.14x
Cardiganshire 13 0.20x
Flintshire 13 0.18x
Renfrewshire 13 0.06x
Peeblesshire 9 0.71x
Radnorshire 9 0.42x
Isle of Man 8 0.16x
Merionethshire 8 0.16x
Argyllshire 5 0.07x
Aberdeenshire 3 0.01x
Angus 3 0.01x
Perthshire 3 0.02x
Westmorland 3 0.05x
Sutherland 2 0.10x
Ayrshire 1 0.01x
Buteshire 1 0.06x
Dumfriesshire 1 0.02x
Dunbartonshire 1 0.01x
Kirkcudbrightshire 1 0.03x
Roxburghshire 1 0.02x
Stirlingshire 1 0.01x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Lambeth in Surrey leads with 391 Pearces recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.67x.

Place Total Index
Lambeth 391 1.67x
Islington London 346 1.33x
Portland 338 35.69x
Portsea 308 2.86x
Camberwell 264 1.54x
St Pancras London 247 1.14x
St Marylebone London 232 1.62x
Birmingham 226 1.00x
Kensington London 205 1.37x
Aston 179 0.96x
Shoreditch London 169 1.45x
Chelsea London 158 1.95x
Hackney London 158 1.05x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 150 3.03x
Bethnal Green London 149 1.28x
Stoke Damerel 147 3.76x
Battersea 138 1.40x
Bedminster 136 3.35x
Plymouth St Andrew 136 3.16x
Cheltenham 132 3.25x
Paddington London 132 1.34x
Bermondsey 131 1.64x
Newington 127 1.28x
Hammersmith London 126 1.91x
Brighton 109 1.19x
Croydon 108 1.49x
Ealing 108 4.50x
Redruth 108 12.57x
Stroud 106 10.35x
Bromley London 104 1.76x
Fulham London 104 2.67x
Hampstead London 104 2.49x
Mile End Old Town 103 2.43x
Great Missenden 99 49.53x
Maidstone 95 3.48x
Wolverhampton 94 1.35x
Kingston On Thames 92 2.93x
Southampton St Mary 91 2.63x
Chiswick 88 6.00x
West Ham 88 0.75x
Chesham 87 14.55x
Warminster 85 16.35x
Poplar London 84 1.66x
St George Hanover 83 2.37x
Plymouth Charles The 82 3.33x
Clerkenwell London 81 1.28x
St Columb Minor 81 31.75x
Southwark St George Martyr 80 1.48x
St Austell 78 7.51x
Winford 77 88.52x
Uny Lelant 76 46.27x
Bristol St George 73 3.00x
Camborne 71 5.67x
Westbury 71 12.82x
Ystradyfodwg 71 1.73x
St Ives 70 11.77x
Clifton 67 2.52x
Clapham 66 1.97x
Trevethin 65 3.55x
Lewisham 64 1.31x
Illogan 63 7.83x
Kingswinford 63 1.92x
Imber 62 172.61x
Wycombe 62 5.13x
Bristol St James St Paul 60 3.42x
Little Missenden 60 58.69x
Nottingham St Mary 60 0.64x
Stapleton 60 6.01x
Woolwich 60 1.77x
Deptford St Paul 59 0.84x
Randwick 59 56.89x
Royal Navy 59 2.16x
Mevagissey 58 28.73x
Wilcott 58 112.14x
Frome 57 5.52x
Ludgvan 56 23.13x
Lyncombe Widcombe 56 4.95x
St Agnes 56 13.16x
Westbury On Trym 56 3.14x
Willesden 56 2.21x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Pearce surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 1,681
Elizabeth 1,199
Sarah 883
Jane 533
Eliza 480
Ann 465
Ellen 445
Emma 418
Annie 413
Emily 412
Alice 395
Louisa 278
Martha 223
Charlotte 206
Hannah 205
Edith 204
Florence 197
Harriet 189
Maria 181
Caroline 175
Susan 169
Kate 168
Clara 146
Fanny 144
Ada 141
Margaret 123
Catherine 112
Lucy 111
Amelia 97
Harriett 95
Rose 92
Anne 88
Frances 88
Agnes 85
Matilda 81
Bessie 75
Julia 70
Esther 69
Rebecca 65
Elizth. 63
Amy 62
Grace 61
Sophia 59
Minnie 58
Jessie 56
Isabella 53
Maud 50
Laura 49
Ethel 45
Lydia 45

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Pearce surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
William 1,797
John 1,321
George 1,039
James 827
Thomas 797
Henry 688
Charles 685
Joseph 426
Alfred 346
Edward 345
Richard 328
Frederick 308
Robert 256
Arthur 245
Albert 234
Samuel 225
Walter 195
Harry 174
Frank 146
Ernest 123
Edwin 122
Francis 120
Herbert 116
David 100
Benjamin 92
Wm. 82
Fred 49
Daniel 48
Stephen 45
Thos. 44
Sidney 41
Fredk. 40
Isaac 38
Philip 38
Fredrick 35
Peter 34
Tom 32
Sydney 29
Percy 28
Mark 27
Edmund 25
Chas. 23
Abraham 22
Jesse 22
Geo. 21
Nicholas 21
Alexander 19
Willm. 19
Job 18
Reuben 17

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Pearce households.

FAQ

Pearce surname: questions and answers

How common was the Pearce surname in 1881?

In 1881, 27,443 people were recorded with the Pearce surname. That placed it at #115 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Pearce surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 38,141 in 2016. That gives Pearce a modern rank of #135.

What does the Pearce surname mean?

An English occupational surname for a person who worked as a stone mason or seller of stone.

What does the Pearce map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Pearce bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.