Given name & surname
Pearson
“as solid and strong as a rock”
Pearson is a variant of Pierce. In English use, Pierce carries the interpretation “as solid and strong as a rock.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
Pearson is a variant of Pierce. In English use, Pierce carries the interpretation “as solid and strong as a rock.”
Explained through its name family
How it developed
In English usage, Pearson as a surname has a “son of” formation linked to Piers.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1898. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Pearson through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 1,678
- 1,552 boys · 126 girls
- Most popular year
- 2019
- 69 babies
- 2025
- 31
- #3,639 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −15%
- Easing
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 31 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 3,639 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 15.1% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 58 in 2019. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (7). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 1,592 as a first name in 2020; 97,562 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Pearson’s family of names
In English usage, Pearson as a surname has a “son of” formation linked to Piers. Pearson has a related form in Pierce. In English usage, Pearson as a surname has a related form in Pierson.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 3
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Across languages 2
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Pearson
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Pearson, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Paxton
“from the peaceful town”
95% boys · 5% girls
Karson
“from the swamp” · “a free man”
95% boys · 5% girls
Easton
“a wholesome woman” · “from the eastern town”
99% boys · 1% girls
Daxton
“from the French town Dax”
>99% boys
Lawson
“the son of Lawrence”
96% boys · 4% girls
Remington
“from the town of the raven's family”
65% boys · 35% girls
Winston
“of the joy stone; from the friendly town”
99% boys · 1% girls
Carson
“from the swamp” · “the son of a marsh dweller”
96% boys · 4% girls