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

Peacock, 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 Peacock surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Peacock in America

Peacock is the 1659th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Peacock surname appeared 21,712 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 7 people would have the surname Peacock.

We can also compare 2010 data for Peacock 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 Peacock

The surname Peacock is of English origin and is believed to have derived from the Middle English words "pe" and "cock," referring to the male peafowl or peacock bird. This name was likely first used as a nickname for someone who exhibited the proud, showy characteristics associated with the peacock.

The earliest recorded instance of the surname Peacock dates back to the 13th century in Yorkshire, England. In the Hundred Rolls of 1273, the name appeared as "Richard Pecoc." It is also found in the Yorkshire Poll Tax records of 1379 as "Johannes Pecok."

The Peacock surname can be traced back to various locations in England, including Middlesex, Essex, and Suffolk. Some early recordings of the name include John Pecok in the Patent Rolls of Middlesex in 1441, and Thomas Pecok in the Court Rolls of the Borough of Colchester, Essex, in 1499.

In the 16th century, the surname appeared in various spellings, such as Peacocke, Pecocke, and Pecoke. One notable bearer of the name was Reginald Peacock (c. 1395-c. 1460), an English bishop and theologian who wrote several works on religious reform and was later accused of heresy.

Another prominent figure with the surname Peacock was Thomas Love Peacock (1785-1866), an English novelist and poet whose works satirized the literary and social circles of his time. His novels, such as "Nightmare Abbey" and "Crotchet Castle," are considered classics of English satire.

The Peacock surname has also been associated with several places in England, including Peacock Green in Hertfordshire, Peacock Farm in Gloucestershire, and Peacock Hill in Buckinghamshire. These place names may have contributed to the further spread and use of the surname in those areas.

Other notable individuals with the surname Peacock include:

1. Thomas Peacock (1592-1658), an English composer and organist during the Baroque period.
2. Ralph Peacock (1772-1853), an English politician and businessman who served as Mayor of Warrington.
3. Nathaniel Peacock (1812-1863), an American politician and lawyer who served as a U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania.
4. Ralph Peacock (1838-1889), an English cricketer who played for Yorkshire County Cricket Club.
5. Thomas Brower Peacock (1834-1917), an American entrepreneur and co-founder of the Peacock Woolen Mills in Philadelphia.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Peacock

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

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 Peacock 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 Peacock 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 Peacock was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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