2000
#9,458
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,154
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.17
Rare Last name
Peachey
Derived from the Old French word "pesche," referring to a peach tree or someone who lived near peach trees.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,908 Americans carry the last name Peachey. That puts it at #7,500 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.43 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 69,836 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Peachey 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 Peachey with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.9K
1 in 69,836
Census rank
#7,500
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,280 bearers of the surname Peachey in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.43 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7500th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Peachey, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.5%) and Two or More Races (0.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Peachey
The surname Peachey originated in England and has its roots in the Old English word "peche," which means "peach." This suggests that the name may have been initially given as a nickname to someone associated with peaches or the cultivation of peach trees.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Peachey can be traced back to the 13th century in various counties of England, such as Hertfordshire, Essex, and Suffolk. The different spellings found in historical records include Peche, Pechy, and Peachie, reflecting the variations in pronunciation and spelling at the time.
One of the earliest known references to the name Peachey appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1296, where a John Peche is listed as a taxpayer. This document provides valuable insight into the distribution and prevalence of the name during that period.
In the 14th century, the name Peachey gained prominence with the rise of Sir John Peche, a notable English soldier and landowner who served under King Edward III during the Hundred Years' War. Sir John Peche played a significant role in the Battle of Crécy in 1346 and was later rewarded with substantial land grants.
Another notable figure bearing the surname Peachey was Sir Henry Peachey (c. 1550-1619), an English lawyer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Sandwich in Kent during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. He was also a prominent figure in the local government of Kent.
During the 17th century, the Peachey family established themselves as influential landowners in Kent. One of the most renowned members of this family was Sir John Peachey (1624-1690), who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1679 and played a crucial role in the aftermath of the Great Fire of London in 1666.
Another significant individual with the surname Peachey was John Peachey (1669-1719), a successful merchant and financier in London. He amassed a considerable fortune and was instrumental in the development of the South Sea Company, a prominent trading company in the early 18th century.
Throughout history, the Peachey surname has also been associated with various place names across England, such as Peachey Green in Hertfordshire and Peachey Lane in Kent, further reinforcing the connection between the name and the geographical locations where it was prevalent.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Peachey
Among Census respondents with the surname Peachey, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.5%) and Two or More Races (0.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Peachey 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 Peachey surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.9% · 4,147
- Hispanic or Latino1.5% · 63
- Two or more races0.8% · 35
- Black or African American0.5% · 23
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.2% · 10
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Peachey
Peachey 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
#8,432
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,918
+764 bearers (+24.2%)
Per 100,000 1.33
Rank movement Up 1,026 places
2020
#7,500
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,280
+362 bearers (+9.2%)
Per 100,000 1.43
Rank movement Up 932 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,458 | 3,154 | 1.17 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,432 | 3,918 | 1.33 | +764 bearers (+24.2%) | Up 1,026 places |
| 2020 | #7,500 | 4,280 | 1.43 | +362 bearers (+9.2%) | Up 932 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 Peachey 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 | #8,432 | #7,500 | 11.1% |
| Count | 3,918 | 4,280 | 9.2% |
| Per 100K | 1.33 | 1.43 | 7.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Peachey bearers went from 3,918 to 4,280 (+9.2% change). The surname moved up 932 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,432 to #7,500.
FAQ
Peachey surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Peachey?
Name Census estimates that about 4,908 living Americans carry the surname Peachey. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 69,836 residents.
How common is Peachey?
Peachey ranks #7,500 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.43 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 4,280 people with the surname Peachey. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,908), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.43 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.43 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 Peachey.
Has Peachey become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Peachey went from 3,918 recorded bearers to 4,280. That is an increase of 362 (+9.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #8,432 to #7,500.
What does the Census say about the background of Peachey?
Among Census respondents with the surname Peachey, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.5%) and Two or More Races (0.8%). 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 Peachey in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.9% (4,147 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Peachey appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.9%), Hispanic (1.5%), Two or More Races (0.8%). 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 Peachey (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 Peachey mean?
Derived from the Old French word "pesche," referring to a peach tree or someone who lived near peach trees. 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 Peachey (1.43 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 Peachey?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many Americans have the surname Peachey at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.