2000
#8,484
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,576
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.33
Rare Last name
Mcpeak
A Scottish and Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Mac Peaic," meaning "son of Peac" (a personal name of unknown origin).
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,868 Americans carry the last name Mcpeak. That puts it at #9,263 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.13 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 88,613 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mcpeak surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
3.9K
1 in 88,613
Census rank
#9,263
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,373 bearers of the surname Mcpeak in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.13 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9263rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcpeak, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.1%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mcpeak
The surname McPeak is of Scottish origin, derived from the Gaelic words "Mac" meaning "son of" and "Peac" or "Peacaidh," which refers to a person with a freckled or pockmarked complexion. This name likely emerged in the late medieval period, around the 13th or 14th century, in the Scottish Highlands.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the McPeak name can be found in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland from the late 15th century, where a person named John McPeak is mentioned as a tenant farmer in Perthshire. The name also appears in various parish records and court documents from the 16th and 17th centuries in areas like Argyll, Inverness-shire, and the Scottish Borders.
In the 17th century, a notable figure named Duncan McPeak (c. 1620-1692) was a prominent Presbyterian minister and author who played a significant role in the religious struggles of the time, particularly during the Covenanting period in Scotland. His writings and sermons were widely circulated and influential.
Another individual of note was James McPeak (1744-1824), a Scottish-born soldier who fought in the American Revolutionary War. He later settled in Pennsylvania and became a successful farmer and landowner.
During the 18th and 19th centuries, the McPeak surname was found in various parts of Scotland, particularly in the Highlands and Lowlands. The spelling variations included McPeake, McPeek, and McPeik, reflecting the regional dialects and pronunciation differences.
In the early 19th century, a branch of the McPeak family settled in County Antrim, Ireland, where they became prominent landowners and merchants. One member, Robert McPeak (1798-1878), was a wealthy businessman and philanthropist who supported various educational and charitable causes.
As Scottish emigrants spread throughout the British Empire and beyond, the McPeak name was carried to various parts of the world, including North America, Australia, and New Zealand. Notable individuals with this surname include:
1. William McPeak (1825-1901), a Canadian politician and businessman from Ontario.
2. John McPeak (1858-1934), an American journalist and author from Missouri.
3. Mary McPeak (1873-1959), a Scottish-born educator and suffragist who worked in New Zealand.
4. Alexander McPeak (1889-1965), a Scottish-born Australian soldier and recipient of the Military Cross during World War I.
5. Robert McPeak (1920-2008), an American artist and illustrator known for his works depicting the American West.
The McPeak surname has a rich history rooted in the Scottish Highlands, with its origins reflecting the distinctive physical characteristics of its early bearers. Over time, it has been carried to various parts of the world, leaving its mark on numerous fields and contributing to the cultural tapestry of many nations.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mcpeak
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcpeak, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.1%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Mcpeak bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Mcpeak surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.8% · 3,030
- Two or more races4.1% · 137
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 94
- Black or African American2.1% · 70
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 25
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 17
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mcpeak
Mcpeak appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#9,020
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,625
+49 bearers (+1.4%)
Per 100,000 1.23
Rank movement Down 536 places
2020
#9,263
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,373
-252 bearers (-7.0%)
Per 100,000 1.13
Rank movement Down 243 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,484 | 3,576 | 1.33 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,020 | 3,625 | 1.23 | +49 bearers (+1.4%) | Down 536 places |
| 2020 | #9,263 | 3,373 | 1.13 | -252 bearers (-7.0%) | Down 243 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Mcpeak surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #9,020 | #9,263 | -2.7% |
| Count | 3,625 | 3,373 | -7.0% |
| Per 100K | 1.23 | 1.13 | -8.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mcpeak bearers went from 3,625 to 3,373 (-7.0% change). The surname moved down 243 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,020 to #9,263.
FAQ
Mcpeak surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mcpeak?
Name Census estimates that about 3,868 living Americans carry the surname Mcpeak. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 88,613 residents.
How common is Mcpeak?
Mcpeak ranks #9,263 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.13 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,373 people with the surname Mcpeak. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,868), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.13 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.13 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Mcpeak.
Has Mcpeak become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mcpeak went from 3,625 recorded bearers to 3,373. That is a decrease of 252 (-7.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,020 to #9,263.
What does the Census say about the background of Mcpeak?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcpeak, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.1%) and Hispanic (2.8%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Mcpeak in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.8% (3,030 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mcpeak appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.8%), Two or More Races (4.1%), Hispanic (2.8%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Mcpeak (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Mcpeak mean?
A Scottish and Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Mac Peaic," meaning "son of Peac" (a personal name of unknown origin). The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Mcpeak (1.13 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people are called Mcpeak?
You can see how many people have the last name Mcpeak on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.