2000
#5,969
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,310
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.97
Rare Last name
Peabody
An English locational surname derived from a place meaning "Pēot's dwelling," referring to someone who lived there.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,867 Americans carry the last name Peabody. That puts it at #6,390 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.71 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 58,421 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Peabody 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Peabody with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.9K
1 in 58,421
Census rank
#6,390
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,116 bearers of the surname Peabody in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.71 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6390th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Peabody, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.2%. The next largest groups are Black (3.5%) and Hispanic (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Peabody
The surname Peabody has its origins in England, tracing back to the late medieval period. It is a locational name derived from the place name Peabody, which is believed to come from the Old English words "pea" and "bodhi," meaning a dwelling by a pea patch or field.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Worcestershire in 1221, where a person named William de Peabody is mentioned. The presence of the "de" prefix indicates that the name referred to someone from the area known as Peabody at that time.
In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as Pebodi, Pebedye, and Pebedee, reflecting the variations in spelling and pronunciation that were common during that period. The Hundred Rolls of 1273 contain references to individuals named Adam de Pebedye and William de Pebedye, further solidifying the name's roots in that region.
During the 16th century, the name Peabody began to spread beyond its original geographical bounds. One notable individual from this era was John Peabody (c. 1545-1611), an English clergyman who served as the Dean of Ely Cathedral and was known for his theological writings.
The 17th century witnessed the emergence of several notable figures bearing the Peabody name. One such individual was Francis Peabody (1618-1705), a successful merchant and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for the City of London in the late 1600s.
As the Peabody family continued to prosper, they left their mark on various aspects of society. In the 19th century, George Peabody (1795-1869), an American businessman and philanthropist, became renowned for his significant contributions to education and social welfare. His legacy includes the establishment of the Peabody Trust, which funded housing and schools for the underprivileged in London.
Another prominent figure from the same era was Josephine Preston Peabody (1869-1922), an American poet and dramatist who gained recognition for her works, including the Pulitzer Prize-winning lyric drama "The Piper."
In the field of education, Endicott Peabody (1857-1944), an American educator and philanthropist, made significant contributions as the founder of the prestigious Groton School in Massachusetts and the Peabody Institute in Baltimore, which later became part of Johns Hopkins University.
These examples illustrate the rich history and diverse accomplishments associated with the surname Peabody, which has endured through the centuries and left an indelible mark across various domains.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Peabody
Among Census respondents with the surname Peabody, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.2%. The next largest groups are Black (3.5%) and Hispanic (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Peabody 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 Peabody surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.2% · 4,565
- Black or African American3.5% · 181
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 161
- Two or more races2.7% · 137
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 37
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 35
Timeline
Historical Census data for Peabody
Peabody 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
#6,367
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,345
+35 bearers (+0.7%)
Per 100,000 1.81
Rank movement Down 398 places
2020
#6,390
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,116
-229 bearers (-4.3%)
Per 100,000 1.71
Rank movement Down 23 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,969 | 5,310 | 1.97 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,367 | 5,345 | 1.81 | +35 bearers (+0.7%) | Down 398 places |
| 2020 | #6,390 | 5,116 | 1.71 | -229 bearers (-4.3%) | Down 23 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 Peabody 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 | #6,367 | #6,390 | -0.4% |
| Count | 5,345 | 5,116 | -4.3% |
| Per 100K | 1.81 | 1.71 | -5.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Peabody bearers went from 5,345 to 5,116 (-4.3% change). The surname moved down 23 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,367 to #6,390.
FAQ
Peabody surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Peabody?
Name Census estimates that about 5,867 living Americans carry the surname Peabody. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 58,421 residents.
How common is Peabody?
Peabody ranks #6,390 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.71 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,116 people with the surname Peabody. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,867), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.71 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.71 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Peabody.
Has Peabody become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Peabody went from 5,345 recorded bearers to 5,116. That is a decrease of 229 (-4.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,367 to #6,390.
What does the Census say about the background of Peabody?
Among Census respondents with the surname Peabody, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.2%. The next largest groups are Black (3.5%) and Hispanic (3.1%). 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 Peabody in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.2% (4,565 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Peabody appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.2%), Black (3.5%), Hispanic (3.1%). 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 Peabody (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 Peabody mean?
An English locational surname derived from a place meaning "Pēot's dwelling," referring to someone who lived there. 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 Peabody (1.71 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 share the surname Peabody?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.