Pierce

Pierce
This is an English surname created from the popular and old - established personal name "Peter", which in medieval England was more usually found as "Piers". "Peter" derives from the Greek "Petros", meaning "rock", and was the name given by Jesus to Simon to be symbolic of steadfastness in faith. St. Peter was the favourite saint of the medieval church, and his name popular throughout Christendom during the Middle Ages. The version "Piers" is the French one, originally brought over by the Normans at the time of the Conquest in 1066. There are at least sixteen different spellings of the name in the modern idiom, from Pierce, Pearce and Piers, to Peers, Peres and Perse. One "Danyell Pierce" was an early settler in America, leaving Ipswich on the "Elizabeth", bound for New England, in 1634.The Coat of Arms granted to the family in 1641, has the blazon of a silver shield, two bars sable, between six red estoiles (stars) three, two and one. The Crest being an arm in armour holding a lance, with the motto; Cadenti porrigo dextram, translating as - I extend my right hand to the falling. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Gilbert Perse, which was dated 1198, in the "London Pipe Rolls", during the reign of King Richard 1, known as "The Lionheart", 1189 - 1199. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

Surnames reference. 2013.

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  • Pierce — ist der Familienname folgender Personen: Benjamin Pierce (1757–1839), US amerikanischer Politiker Bill Pierce (* 1948), US amerikanischer Jazz Saxophonist Charles Pierce (Musiker) (1890–??), US amerikanischer Jazz Saxophonist und Bandleader… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Pierce — may refer to:Places*Pierce, Colorado, a US town *Pierce, Idaho, a US city *Pierce, Nebraska, a US city *Pierce, Wisconsin, a US town *Mount Pierce (New Hampshire), USA, a peak in the White Mountains * Pierce County, several places * Pierce Range …   Wikipedia

  • pierce — vt pierced, pierc·ing: to see through the usu. misleading or false appearance of the object of summary judgment is to pierce the pleadings and allow a judgment on the merits J. H. Friedenthal et al. the Internal Revenue Service may attempt to… …   Law dictionary

  • Pierce — Pierce, NE U.S. city in Nebraska Population (2000): 1774 Housing Units (2000): 736 Land area (2000): 0.876814 sq. miles (2.270939 sq. km) Water area (2000): 0.021368 sq. miles (0.055343 sq. km) Total area (2000): 0.898182 sq. miles (2.326282 sq.… …   StarDict's U.S. Gazetteer Places

  • Pierce — Pierce, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Pierced}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Piercing}.] [OE. percen, F. percer, OF. percier, perchier, parchier; perh. fr. (assumed) LL. pertusiare for pertusare, fr. L. pertundere, pertusum, to beat, push, bore through; per through + …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • pierce — [pıəs US pırs] v [Date: 1200 1300; : Old French; Origin: percer, probably from Latin pertundere to make a hole through ] 1.) [T] to make a small hole in or through something, using an object with a sharp point ▪ Steam the corn until it can easily …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • Pierce — Pierce, v. i. To enter; to penetrate; to make a way into or through something, as a pointed instrument does; used literally and figuratively. [1913 Webster] And pierced to the skin, but bit no more. Spenser. [1913 Webster] She would not pierce… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Pierce, CO — U.S. town in Colorado Population (2000): 884 Housing Units (2000): 318 Land area (2000): 0.737487 sq. miles (1.910083 sq. km) Water area (2000): 0.000000 sq. miles (0.000000 sq. km) Total area (2000): 0.737487 sq. miles (1.910083 sq. km) FIPS… …   StarDict's U.S. Gazetteer Places

  • Pierce, ID — U.S. city in Idaho Population (2000): 617 Housing Units (2000): 298 Land area (2000): 0.824168 sq. miles (2.134585 sq. km) Water area (2000): 0.000000 sq. miles (0.000000 sq. km) Total area (2000): 0.824168 sq. miles (2.134585 sq. km) FIPS code:… …   StarDict's U.S. Gazetteer Places

  • Pierce, NE — U.S. city in Nebraska Population (2000): 1774 Housing Units (2000): 736 Land area (2000): 0.876814 sq. miles (2.270939 sq. km) Water area (2000): 0.021368 sq. miles (0.055343 sq. km) Total area (2000): 0.898182 sq. miles (2.326282 sq. km) FIPS… …   StarDict's U.S. Gazetteer Places

  • Pierce [2] — Pierce (spr. Pihrs), 1) Grafschaft im Staate Wisconsin (Nordamerika); 26 QM.; Flüsse: Mississippi, St. Croix, Red Cedar, Rush u. Menomonie Rivers; große Prairien u. Waldungen; erst 1851 aus einem Theil der Grafschaft St. Croix gebildet;… …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

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