Pierce Coat of Arms and Name History

Origin English

The name Pierce is tied to the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of England. It comes from the baptismal name for the son of Peter. In the religious naming tradition surnames were bestowed in honor of religious figures or church officials. In

Europe, the Christian Church was one of the most powerful influences on the formation of given names. Personal names derived from the names of saints, apostles, biblical figures, and missionaries are widespread in most European

countries. In the Middle Ages, they became increasingly popular because people believed that the souls of the deceased continued to be involved in this world.

They named their children after saints in the hope that the child would be blessed or protected by the saint. Spelling variations of this family name include: Pearce, Pierce, Pierse, Pearse, Pears, Peerce, Peers, Peirse and

many more. First found in Somerset where they were seated from early times and their first records appeared on the census rolls taken by the early Kings ofBritain to determine the Pierce Coat of Arms