Pearson surname comes from a Middle English given word of ‘Piers” which is also a form of ‘Pierce.’ Some other early forms of the name are Peyrson, Pairsone, Peirsonde, Peirsone, Peirsound, Pesirsaunde, Persone, Pearsone and Peyrsoune.

The surname is quite common in Ireland, where it has been established for many centuries.
In England the surname started in Northumberland and now located in Yorkshire, Durham, Lancashire counties and in the London area.

The places of origin for Pearson families are England, Ireland, Sweden and Scotland.

The states populated with Pearson families are Ohio, , New York, Pennsylvania, California, Minnesota and Illinois.

Pearson families were mostly farmers in the 1880s.

Famous: Charles Pearson (promoter of an underground railway in London), Fred Stark Pierson (American electrical or power generating stations and mechanical engineer), John Pearson (19thcentury English Victoria Cross recipient), Justin Pearson (rock musician), Lester B. Pierson (Prime Minister of Canada and Nobel Prize winner), Monte Pierson (baseball player with Cleveland Indians and New York Yankees), Noel Pierson (Irish film and theatre producer), Gary Pierson (Canadian comedian), Drew Pierson (American journalist) and Bishop John Pierson (17thcentury English theologian and scholar).