Pierse Explained

Pierse is both a surname and a masculine given name. It is a variant of Pierce, which is of Norman origin. The name appears to be a corruption of the ancient French name Piers, itself derived from the earlier Latin Petrus meaning 'a piece of rock or stone'. The modern French form is Pierre. In connection with the early spelling of name Piers, the terminal s was possibly due to the influence of the French nominative singular ending, giving other examples of this peculiarity such as Jacques and Gilles.^[1]

The name was brought to the Irish by the Normans during their settlement after the invasions of 1169 and 1170. When adopted by the Irish, the name went underwent a change, for the Irish language softened the plosive Piers down to the fricative Piarais (Pronounced "Fearish").

Notable people with the name include:

Surname

• Annamay Pierse (born 1983), Canadian swimmer
• Catherine Pierse, Irish solicitor
• Peter Pierse (1947–1991), Australian rugby league referee
• Toddy Pierse (1898–1968), Irish Gaelic footballer

Given

• Pierse Loftus (1877–1956), Irish-born British businessman and politician
• Pierse Long (1739–1789), American merchant
• Pierse Joseph Mackesy (1883–1956), Irish-born British Army officer

See also

• Peirse (disambiguation)
• Pearce (surname), a surname of similar origin

Notes and References

1. Ewen, C. L’Estrange, and C. L’Estrange Ewen. A history of surnames of the British isles: A concise account of their origin, evolution, etymology, and legal status. Baltimore, 1995.