| ![Show Contents]() Piers History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Etymology of PiersWhat does the name Piers mean? The origins of the name Piers are from the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. It is derived 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. Early Origins of the Piers familyThe surname Piers was first found in Somerset where one of the first records of the family was listed with an early spelling of the name: Richard Perys, 1 Edward III (during the first year's reign of King Edward III.) The same rolls included Robert Peres; Ralph Peres; and Adam Peres. 1 Some of the family were also found in Cornwall. "The barton house of Davidstowe, [in the parish of Davistow, Cornwall] which is now inhabited by labourers, and Trehane, now occupied by a farmer, were originally seats of the Pearse family, from whom, together with their estates, they passed in marriage to John Nicholls, Esq. Since that time Davidstowe has again returned to the Pearse family; and, together with the great tithes, is now the property of William Pearse, Esq.. whose residence is at Holwell." 2 Early History of the Piers familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Piers research. Another 110 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1510, 1520, 1548, 1603, 1612, 1615, 1622, 1625, 1629, 1630, 1645, 1661, 1667, 1674, 1690, 1691, 1694, 1697, 1699, 1714, 1719, 1726, 1772, 1845 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Piers History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Piers Spelling VariationsSound was what guided spelling in the essentially pre-literate Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Also, before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Therefore, spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Piers family name include Pearce, Pierce, Pierse, Pearse, Pears, Peerce, Peers, Peirse and many more. Early Notables of the Piers family- Sir Edmund Peirce or Pierse (died 1667), of Greenwich, Kent and Holborn, Middlesex, was an English politician, Member of Parliament for Maidstone 1661 to 1667. Thomas Pierce or Peirse (1622-1691), was...
Migration of the Piers family to IrelandSome of the Piers family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 201 words (14 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
| Piers migration to the United States | + |
For political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for Ireland, the Canadas, the America colonies, and many of smaller tropical colonies in the hope of finding better lives abroad. Although the passage on the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving, those families that survived the trip often went on to make valuable contributions to those new societies to which they arrived. Early immigrants bearing the Piers surname or a spelling variation of the name include:
Piers Settlers in United States in the 18th Century- Thomas Piers, who settled in Pennsylvania in 1772
| Piers migration to Canada | + |
Piers Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century- Lewis Piers, who arrived in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1749
- Mary Piers, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1750
- Temple Piers, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1776
| Contemporary Notables of the name Piers (post 1700) | + |
- Maria Weigl Piers (1911-1997), Austrian-born American psychologist, social worker, educator and prolific author, whose career was especially devoted to the psycho-social development of children
- Ryan Piers Williams (b. 1981), American actor, director, and writer
- Dominic Piers Ostler (b. 1970), English former cricketer who played in first-class, List A and Twenty20 cricket for Warwickshire between 1990 and 2004
- William Piers Ormerod (1818-1860), British anatomist and surgeon
- James Piers St Aubyn (1815-1895), English architect
- Piers Morgan (b. 1965), né O'Meara, stage name of Piers Stefan Pughe-Morgan, an English broadcaster, journalist, writer, and television personality
- Piers Alexander Gilliver MBE (b. 1994), British wheelchair fencer, three-time Paralympian, winning gold at the 2020 Paralympics
- Piers Rolf Garfield Merchant (1951-2009), British politician
- Piers Stefan Pughe -Morgan (b. 1965), known as Piers Morgan, an English broadcaster, journalist, writer, and television personality, known for Piers Morgan's Life Stories (2009–2020), Piers Morgan Live (2011–2014) and Piers Morgan Uncensored
| Historic Events for the Piers family | + |
- Alex Piers, who was traveling aboard the ship "SS Atlantic" when it struck rocks off Nova Scotia in 1873, died in the sinking
- Annie W. Piers, who was traveling aboard the ship "SS Atlantic" when it struck rocks off Nova Scotia in 1873, died in the sinking
- Eliz Piers, who was traveling aboard the ship "SS Atlantic" when it struck rocks off Nova Scotia in 1873, died in the sinking
- George Piers, who was traveling aboard the ship "SS Atlantic" when it struck rocks off Nova Scotia in 1873, died in the sinking
- Harry Piers, who was traveling aboard the ship "SS Atlantic" when it struck rocks off Nova Scotia in 1873, died in the sinking
- ... (Another 1 entries are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
- Dickinson, F.H., Kirby's Quest for Somerset of 16th of Edward the 3rd London: Harrison and Sons, Printers in Ordinary to Her Majesty, St, Martin's Lane, 1889. Print.
- Hutchins, Fortescue, The History of Cornwall, from the Earliest Records and Traditions to the Present Time. London: William Penaluna, 1824. Print
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