Pierce Boy

Popularity: #456 · Trend: ↘ Falling

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: PEERS //pɪərs//

Origin: English; Irish

Meaning: English: rock; Irish: son of the spear

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Pierce is of English origin, derived from the Old French name "Piers," which itself is a variant of the name "Peter." The name Peter comes from the Greek "Petros," meaning "rock" or "stone," which is a translation of the Aramaic name "Cephas." This etymological journey illustrates the name's roots in early Christian texts, where Peter is a significant biblical figure, recognized as one of Jesus Christ's apostles and often regarded as the first pope in Catholic tradition. The name made its way into English usage following the Norman Conquest of England in the 11th century, when Old French became the language of the ruling class and influenced the English vernacular.

Throughout the Middle Ages, the name Pierce gained traction in England, particularly as a surname before evolving into a given name. Notably, the name appears in various historical records, including the 13th-century poem "Pierce the Plowman" by William Langland, which reflects the social and religious themes of the time.

The name's association with steadfastness and reliability, owing to its meaning, contributed to its enduring presence in English culture. Culturally, the name Pierce has been linked to various symbolic representations of strength and stability, resonating with the qualities attributed to its biblical namesake.

The diminutive form "Pier" has also been used historically, though less frequently. The name's historical significance is further underscored by its use among notable figures in English history, including several prominent individuals in literature and politics, which has helped maintain its relevance through the centuries.

Famous people named Pierce

In this section, you will find notable people named Pierce. We include individuals across a wide range of fields, including actors known for their work in film, television, and stage productions. You'll also find musicians, directors, and other public figures named Pierce who have made a significant impact on popular culture.

We also feature individuals named Pierce who have made meaningful contributions to science, politics, athletics, literature, and other areas of public interest.

Please note that not every baby name in our database currently has a famous namesake listed. If you would like to suggest a name we may have missed or submit a correction, feel free to contact us. We review and finalize additions and corrections within 24 hours.

Pierce Brosnan is an actor best known for the James Bond series, Mamma Mia!, and The Thomas Crown Affair.

Pierce Hawthorne is a fictional character best known for being a member of the study group in the television series Community.

Fictional characters named Pierce

The following list of fictional characters named Pierce is a work in progress. If you would like to suggest an additional character, please send us the character's name along with a brief, one-sentence description of what they are best known for.

You may also submit corrections, which we will review and update as quickly as possible.

Pierce Hawthorne is a fictional character from the TV series Community. He is a wealthy, older student at a community college who often provides comic relief with his outdated views and antics.

Pierce Brosnan is a fictional character from the video game series GoldenEye. He is a British secret agent known for his suave demeanor and skilled espionage tactics.

Sibling suggestions

If you're looking for sibling name ideas that pair well with Pierce, the following options are frequently chosen as complementary choices by parents.

ParkerPaxtonPrestonPaytonPeyton

Similar names

Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Pierce. These names can serve as alternatives to the sibling suggestions listed above and may help you find the perfect complementary name for your growing family.

PiersPeterPaceParkerPaxtonPercyPrestonPeyton

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Pierce was first seen in the United States in 1880.

Pierce has ranked as high as #937 nationally, which occurred in 2015, and has been most popular in Texas, California, Florida, Georgia, and New York.

In the past 5 years the name Pierce has been trending down compared to the previous 5 years.

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Pierce is part of our comprehensive baby names database, which includes Social Security Administration (SSA) data dating back to 1880—the first official year of state and national tracking. The chart below shows when Pierce was first recorded in the United States and illustrates how its popularity has risen and fallen over time.

Popularity Over Time (National) — Table

We track the national popularity of each baby name annually. The table below displays each year along with the number of births reported by the Social Security Administration. This data combines all state-level reporting from the SSA's baby names database to provide a comprehensive view of overall birth counts for Pierce.

Year Total Births Boy Girl
2025 618 598 20
2024 583 554 29
2023 559 537 22
2022 550 518 32
2021 605 585 20
2020 604 580 24
2019 612 590 22
2018 607 588 19
2017 562 547 15
2016 661 647 14
2015 668 648 20
2014 632 621 11
2013 623 608 15
2012 584 570 14
2011 575 565 10
2010 559 547 12
2009 575 575 0
2008 550 538 12
2007 553 544 9
2006 465 454 11
2005 510 502 8
2004 486 478 8
2003 520 512 8
2002 445 438 7
2001 399 399 0
2000 468 458 10
1999 348 338 10
1998 312 312 0
1997 308 308 0
1996 316 309 7
1995 223 223 0
1994 222 222 0
1993 208 208 0
1992 202 202 0
1991 140 140 0
1990 136 136 0
1989 144 144 0
1988 137 137 0
1987 101 101 0
1986 89 89 0
1985 107 107 0
1984 85 85 0
1983 55 55 0
1982 27 27 0
1981 17 17 0
1980 17 17 0
1979 18 18 0
1978 23 23 0
1977 17 17 0
1976 17 17 0
1975 11 11 0
1974 18 18 0
1973 24 24 0
1972 14 14 0
1971 19 19 0
1970 18 18 0
1969 17 17 0
1968 23 23 0
1967 16 16 0
1966 20 20 0
1965 19 19 0
1964 33 33 0
1963 20 20 0
1962 25 25 0
1961 32 32 0
1960 29 29 0
1959 29 29 0
1958 20 20 0
1957 33 33 0
1956 30 30 0
1955 36 36 0
1954 40 40 0
1953 24 24 0
1952 28 28 0
1951 35 35 0
1950 31 31 0
1949 47 47 0
1948 41 41 0
1947 37 37 0
1946 43 43 0
1945 23 23 0
1944 41 41 0
1943 37 37 0
1942 33 33 0
1941 38 38 0
1940 33 33 0
1939 42 42 0
1938 32 32 0
1937 47 47 0
1936 48 48 0
1935 32 32 0
1934 28 28 0
1933 39 39 0
1932 37 37 0
1931 49 49 0
1930 55 55 0
1929 41 41 0
1928 59 59 0
1927 49 49 0
1926 43 43 0
1925 56 56 0
1924 75 75 0
1923 53 53 0
1922 62 62 0
1921 65 65 0
1920 57 57 0
1919 61 61 0
1918 58 58 0
1917 58 58 0
1916 57 57 0
1915 48 48 0
1914 40 40 0
1913 36 36 0
1912 25 25 0
1911 19 19 0
1910 11 11 0
1909 13 13 0
1908 14 14 0
1907 17 17 0
1906 11 11 0
1905 15 15 0
1904 8 8 0
1903 14 14 0
1902 15 15 0
1901 11 11 0
1900 15 15 0
1899 8 8 0
1898 13 13 0
1897 13 13 0
1896 10 10 0
1895 14 14 0
1894 9 9 0
1893 12 12 0
1892 22 22 0
1891 5 5 0
1890 21 21 0
1889 11 11 0
1888 14 14 0
1887 15 15 0
1886 21 21 0
1885 15 15 0
1884 15 15 0
1883 5 5 0
1882 14 14 0
1881 7 7 0
1880 16 16 0

Top States for Pierce (2024)

We track the most popular states for each baby name every year and highlight the locations where the name appears most frequently. The table below shows the five states with the highest number of births for this name in the selected year. Use the toggle to expand the list to every state with reported births.

State Births Share
TX 85
16%
CA 47
9%
PA 33
6%
FL 30
6%
NY 29
6%
GA 23
4%
MA 21
4%
NC 21
4%
IL 18
3%
TN 15
3%
MI 14
3%
IN 14
3%
LA 13
3%
OH 12
2%
WA 12
2%
NJ 12
2%
VA 11
2%
OK 10
2%
AZ 9
2%
MN 9
2%
SC 9
2%
KS 8
2%
CO 8
2%
AL 8
2%
AR 7
1%
CT 7
1%
NE 6
1%
KY 6
1%
MO 6
1%
UT 5
1%
OR 5
1%
WI 5
1%