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Pearson Family History

Pearson Surname Meaning

English: patronymic from the Middle English personal name Per(e) or Piers (see Pear and Pierce) + son. The surname is also quite common in Ireland where it has been established for many centuries.

Compare Peerson. Americanized form of one or more similar (like-sounding) Jewish (Ashkenazic) surnames.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: 

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Pearson family from?

You can see how Pearson families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Pearson family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Pearson families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1840 there were 101 Pearson families living in Pennsylvania. This was about 11% of all the recorded Pearson's in USA. Pennsylvania had the highest population of Pearson families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Pearson surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
  • 1840
  • 1880
  • 1920
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What did your Pearson ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Housekeeper were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Pearson. 17% of Pearson men worked as a Farmer and 7% of Pearson women worked as a Housekeeper. Some less common occupations for Americans named Pearson were Carpenter and Housewife.

View Census Data for Pearson | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Farmer
    17%
  • Laborer
    15%
  • Salesman
    4%
  • Carpenter
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Housekeeper
    7%
  • Maid
    7%
  • Teacher
    6%
  • Housewife
    6%

What Pearson family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 1 million census records available for the last name Pearson. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Pearson census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Pearson

Passenger Lists

There are 109,000 immigration records available for the last name Pearson. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the USA, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Pearson immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 127,000 military records available for the last name Pearson. For the veterans among your Pearson ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Pearson military records

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