Peir History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Peir

What does the name Peir mean?

The Peir surname is thought to have evolved independently from two distinct sources. Some instances of the name come from the Middle English "le pere," from the Old English "le-ap," meaning "a basket;" in which case the name was occupational for a basket maker. Other instances of the name come from the Old English "hle-apere," meaning a "dancer," "runner," or "courier," and the name would have been either occupational or nickname.

Early Origins of the Peir family

The surname Peir was first found in Warwickshire the first on record of the name appears to be Robert Lepere, a Knights Templar in Warwickshire in 1185. Later in Essex, Geoffrey Lepere was listed in the Curia Regis Rolls for 1221. Richard le Lepor was recorded in 1298. 1

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 included: Geoffrey le Lepere, Oxfordshire; Walter le Lepere, Buckinghamshire; and Robert Leper, Lincolnshire. In Yorkshire, Alicia Lepar was listed there in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379. William le Poure was found in the Close Rolls, 1 Edward I (during the first year of the reign of King Edward I.) 2

Early History of the Peir family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Peir research. Another 59 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1200, 1295 and 1713 are included under the topic Early Peir History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Peir Spelling Variations

Before the last few hundred years the English language had no fixed system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations occurred commonly in Anglo Norman surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Peir were recorded, including Leeper, Leaper, Leper, LePere, Lepere, Lepper, Leiper, Leyper, Peer, Pere, Peir and many more.

Early Notables of the Peir family

William Peer (died 1713), English actor. He owes the survival of his name to a humorous mention of his career by Steele in the Guardian, No. 82. He...
Another 27 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Peir Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Peir migration to the United States +

The unstable environment in England at this time caused numerous families to board ships and leave in search of opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad in places like Ireland, Australia, and particularly the New World. The voyage was extremely difficult, however, and only taken at great expense. The cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels caused many to arrive diseased and starving, not to mention destitute from the enormous cost. Still opportunity in the emerging nations of Canada and the United States was far greater than at home and many went on to make important contributions to the cultures of their adopted countries. An examination of many early immigration records reveals that people bearing the name Peir arrived in North America very early:

Peir Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

John Peir, who landed in Virginia in 1717 3

Sources +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)