Find out how popular the last name Peace is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Peace.

Peace, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Peace surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Peace in America

Peace is the 4022nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Peace surname appeared 8,841 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Peace.

We can also compare 2010 data for Peace to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Peace

The surname PEACE is an English toponymic name derived from the Old English "peas", meaning a hill or lake. It likely originated in areas of England where there were prominent hills or lakes, such as the counties of Kent, Sussex, and Norfolk. The earliest recorded spellings of the name date back to the 12th century, appearing in the Domesday Book as "Peas" and "Peise".

In the 13th century, a John de Pese was recorded in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1230. The name was also found in the Hundred Rolls of Norfolk in 1275, with a reference to a John Pece. These early records suggest the name was well-established in various parts of England by the medieval period.

One of the earliest notable individuals with the surname was William Peace, a 14th-century English landowner and Member of Parliament for Gloucestershire. He was born around 1320 and served in Parliament from 1365 to 1372.

In the 16th century, the surname appeared with various spellings, including Pease, Peece, and Pees. John Pease, a successful merchant and alderman of Hull, was born in 1522 and made significant contributions to the city's trade and governance.

The 17th century saw the emergence of notable figures like Edward Peace (1618-1676), an English Puritan minister and author. He was a prominent preacher and published several religious works during his lifetime.

In the 18th century, the name was associated with the Peace family of Hunsdon, Hertfordshire, who were prominent landowners and patrons of the arts. The most famous member was Sir Walter Peace (1712-1792), a renowned art collector and connoisseur.

Moving into the 19th century, Edward Peace (1801-1869) was a successful industrialist and philanthropist from Darlington, England. He established the Darlington Railway Works and was instrumental in the development of the town's infrastructure.

Throughout its history, the surname PEACE has been found in various spellings, including Pease, Peice, and Pece, reflecting the evolution of English language and regional variations. Despite its widespread presence across England, the name retains its connection to the Old English word "peas" and its topographical origins.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Peace

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Peace.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Peace was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Peace has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Peace was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Peace, please contact us.

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