Pearson History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms 

Origins Available: 
  England 
  Ireland 
  Scotland 


The ancestors of the Pearson family first reached the shores of England in the wave of migration after the Norman Conquest of 1066. Their name is derived from the French given name Pierre, which is equivalent to the English Peter as in son of Peter or Pierre.1 2 3

Early Origins of the Pearson family

The surname Pearson was first found in Berwickshire where the name was derived as "son of Pier." Walter Pierson of Berwickshire rendered homage to King Edward I of England on his brief conquest of Scotland in 1296. 4 However, some of the family were found at early times in Lancashire, specifically at the township of Shevington where "Crook Hall was the seat of the Pearsons." 5

In Somerset, early rolls there listed Walter Peressone and Richard Peresone, both 1 Edward III, (during the first year of King Edward III's reign.) 6

In Yorkshire, the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls from 1379 included: Robertus Perisson. 7

Early History of the Pearson family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Pearson research. Another 213 words (15 lines of text) covering the years 1369, 1472, 1506, 1529, 1537, 1540, 1541, 1542, 1544, 1545, 1567, 1587, 1590, 1592, 1594, 1604, 1612, 1613, 1628, 1634, 1642, 1647, 1648, 1650, 1651, 1657, 1662, 1665, 1667, 1670, 1677, 1686, 1720 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Pearson History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Pearson Spelling Variations

Norman surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are largely due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England, as well as the official court languages of Latin and French, also had pronounced influences on the spelling of surnames. Since medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings. The name has been spelled Pearson, Peerson, Pierson, Peirson and others.

Early Notables of the Pearson family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

Pearson World Ranking

In the United States, the name Pearson is the 255th most popular surname with an estimated 104,454 people with that name. 9 However, in Canada, the name Pearson is ranked the 320th most popular surname with an estimated 13,912 people with that name. 10 And in Quebec, Canada, the name Pearson is the 919th popular surname. 11 Australia ranks Pearson as 169th with 18,474 people. 12 New Zealand ranks Pearson as 183rd with 2,994 people. 13 The United Kingdom ranks Pearson as 100th with 47,819 people. 14

Migration of the Pearson family to Ireland

Some of the Pearson family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 57 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Pearson migration to the United States +

Many English families emigrated to North American colonies in order to escape the political chaos in Britain at this time. Unfortunately, many English families made the trip to the New World under extremely harsh conditions. Overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the stormy Atlantic. Despite these hardships, many of the families prospered and went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the United States and Canada. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Pearson or a variant listed above:

Pearson Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
Pearson Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Pearson migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Pearson Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
Pearson Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Pearson migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Pearson Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Pearson migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Pearson Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Pearson migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 24
Pearson Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

Contemporary Notables of the name Pearson (post 1700) +


Suggested Readings for the name Pearson +
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