Surname Pearsen - Meaning and Origin
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Pearsen: What does the surname Pearsen mean?
The last name Pearsen is of English origin. It is a derivative of the baptismal name "Pear" which evolved into "Pearson" and then sometimes into "Pearsen". The baptismal name Pear was used for the son of Peter, which in medieval times was a very popular personal name. Hence, Pearsen essentially means "Son of Peter". Pear as a given name is believed to have originated from the Greek word "Petros" meaning "rock" or "stone". Over time, spellings evolved based on regional dialects and phonetics, which is likely how Pearson and variants like Pearsen were formed. So, people with the name Pearsen might have ancestors who were descendants of a person named Peter. It is important to recognize that surnames had diverse sources, and the same surname could have been independently created by different families in different locations. Therefore, while this is a probable interpretation of the name Pearsen, individual family histories might vary.
Order DNA origin analysisPearsen: Where does the name Pearsen come from?
The surname Pearsen, or Pearson, is an English name derived from a patronymic version of the surname Peter. It is found all across the world, particularly in countries where English is spoken or where English-speaking people have migrated. It is particularly common in England, Scotland, and the United States.
In England, the name has been recorded in documents as far back as 1086. In the 15th-century, the name was found in many locations in the south and west of England, but few records exist before 1700. The name is found across Northern and Central England as well. As of 2019, the most common place of residence in the UK for people with the surname Pearsen is London.
In Scotland, the name has been recorded as early as 1624, mostly in the Lowlands. The most common place of residence in Scotland for people with the surname is Glasgow.
In the United States, the numbers of people with the surname has steadily increased over the centuries. By the end of the 1800s there were around ten thousand people in the US with the surname, mainly concentrated in the north-central states of Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Iowa. Currently, the most populous states for people with the surname Pearsen in 2019 are Michigan, Texas, California, and Arizona.
In other parts of the world such as Australia and Canada, the surname is also quite common and can be found in higher numbers in larger urban centres with significant Anglophone populations.
Variations of the surname Pearsen
The surname Pearsen is derived from the Old English ‘Persen’, which means a pear tree. It could have been used as a toponymic surname for a person from a place called Pearsen, or as an occupational surname for someone who worked in the pear industry. Variations of this surname include Pearson, Pearce, Pears, Peirce, and even Pierce.
The Scottish-origin variant of this surname is Peartson. It is derived from the Scottish Gaelic name ‘Piotair’ and was adopted as a surname to reflect the descendant's allegiance to his particular clan or family. Spelling variations include Peaterson, Peirson and Pearson, and in many cases the ‘p’ was changed to ‘b’, resulting in variations such as Beerison, BEIRSEN, Bierson, and Bjorsen.
The most common spelling form of the surname is Pearson. It is used as a patronymic name, reflecting the original bearer's father's first name. The specific first name is usually found as the most common form of the surname, such as Ferguson for son of Fergus, or Anderson for son of Andrew.
The Dutch-origin spelling variant is Bjorsen or Björsson. This name is derived from the personal name Bjør, and is found in great abundance in the Netherlands and also in Scandinavia.
Internationalized spelling variants of Pearsen include Parson, Parsons, Pierson, and Piirson. This surname is particularly prevalent in the English speaking countries of the United Kingdom and United States.
In summary, the surname Pearsen has many variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin. The main spellings include Pearson, Pearce, Pears, Peirce, Pierce, Peaterson, Peirson, Beerison, BEIRSEN, Bierson, Bjorsen, Parson, Parsons, Pierson, and Piirson.
Famous people with the name Pearsen
- Anna Pearce, British actress, known for family movies such as ‘My Family’ and ‘The Borrowers’
- Martha Pearson, American film editor, known for editing films such as ‘Mr. Smith Goes to Washington’ and ‘Rio Bravo’
- Nathalie Pearsen, Dutch fashion model and beauty pageant titleholder, winner of the Miss Universe Netherlands 2004
- Leslie Pearsen, Canadian ice hockey player, who competed in two Winter Olympics and played for teams such as the Toronto Maple Leafs
- Jayson Pearsen, British composer, musician and lyricist, who wrote the musical ‘Rock of Ages’
- Peter Pearsen, British horticultural author, co-author of the books ‘Pearsen’s English Gardens’ and ‘Making a Botanical Garden’
- Linda Pearsen, Australian engineer, responsible for many of the flyovers and roads around Australian cities
- Dirk Pearsen, Dutch commissioning editor for television, known for producing historical documentaries such as ‘The Golden Century of Dutch Art’
- Hermanus Pearsen, Dutch painter of the Baroque period, whose works included ‘The Adoration of the Shepherds’
- W.S. Pearsen, American naturalist, curator and prolific author of field guides to birding and ornithology