Pierce
Pierce was the 505th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 598 babies. Its best year was 1886, when it ranked 394th; the most babies were born in 2015 (648). Over the last ten years it has moved down 39 places. More babies were named Pierce in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning stone (a form of Peter) · Greek, French, English
Say it PEERS /pɪrs/
- Rank in 2025
- #505 boys, down 1 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 598boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2015648 babies
- Total since 1880
- 20,634babies recorded
What does the name Pierce mean?
Pierce is a medieval form of Piers, the Old French and Middle English form of Peter, so its root meaning is that of Peter: Greek petros, stone or rock. Piers became a surname, and Wiktionary notes that the modern first name may also come from that surname. DMNES glosses the Greek root of Peter as rock. It is not connected with the verb "to pierce," which is a separate Old French word.
Πέτρος (Ancient Greek, “Peter; from petros, stone”)Piers (Old French, “Peter”)
How sure is this? Probable. Derivation from Piers/Peter is standard for the surname; the given name today usually comes via the surname.
Other explanations you may read: From the English verb 'pierce'. The name and the verb are unrelated..
Related names: Piers, Pearse, Peter, Pierre, Pierson.
See also: Greek names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Pierce' (English section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- Wiktionary, entry 'Peter' (English section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Peter', DMNES (Durham University)
Pierce popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 389 since 1996, 20 in 2025.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #505 | 598 |
| 2020 | #504 | 580 |
| 2010 | #476 | 547 |
| 2000 | #498 | 458 |
| 1990 | #885 | 136 |
| 1980 | #2,810 | 17 |
| 1970 | #2,192 | 18 |
| 1960 | #1,515 | 29 |
| 1950 | #1,310 | 31 |
| 1940 | #1,175 | 33 |
| 1930 | #907 | 55 |
| 1920 | #921 | 57 |
| 1910 | #1,029 | 11 |
| 1900 | #674 | 15 |
| 1890 | #402 | 21 |
| 1880 | #458 | 16 |
How popular is Pierce, counting every spelling?
Pierce is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #488 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #505 for Pierce on its own. Together these spellings went to 620 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pierce | 598 | #505 | 2,792 |
| Pearce | 22 | #4,666 | 137 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Pierce?
598 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Pierce (0.17 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Pierce born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 14 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Pierce.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Pierce?
About 17,900 people born in the US named Pierce are alive today, with a median age of 16; half are between 8 and 25. That makes Pierce mostly worn by children and young adults.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Pierce by state
How common Pierce was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Kansas (1.9×), Nebraska (1.9×), Connecticut (1.9×), Louisiana (1.7×), Pennsylvania (1.6×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Mississippi, Idaho, Alabama.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Pierce: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Pierce, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Pierce · Sibling names for Pierce
Questions about the name Pierce
What does Pierce mean?
Pierce means “stone (a form of Peter)” (Greek, French, English origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Pierce?
Pierce was the 505th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 598 babies. Its best year was 1886, when it ranked 394th; the most babies were born in 2015 (648). Over the last ten years it has moved down 39 places. More babies were named Pierce in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Pierce a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Pierce in the US.
Where is Pierce most popular?
In 2021–2025, Pierce was most common in South Dakota (0.65 per 1,000 boys), followed by Kansas and Nebraska.