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

Peak, 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 Peak surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Peak in America

Peak is the 4076th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Peak surname appeared 8,713 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 Peak.

We can also compare 2010 data for Peak 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 Peak

The surname Peak is of English and German origin, deriving from the Old English word "peac" meaning a pointed or sharp hill. This surname likely originated as a toponymic name, referring to someone who lived near a distinctive peak or hill.

The earliest known record of the name Peak is found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Pec" and "Peck". This suggests that the name was already established in England by the late 11th century.

In medieval times, the name was commonly spelled in various ways, including Peake, Peeke, Peek, and Pyke. These variations reflect the different regional dialects and pronunciation of the name across England.

One notable bearer of the name was Sir Robert Peake (1551-1619), an English painter and courtier during the reign of King James I. He served as a Sergeant-Painter and was responsible for decorating many royal residences.

Another person of historical significance was Richard Peake (1592-1667), an English clergyman and writer who served as the Master of Magdalene College, Cambridge, from 1637 to 1661.

In the 18th century, the name was borne by Sir Robert Peake (1713-1782), a British naval officer who rose to the rank of Admiral and served as the Commander-in-Chief of the East Indies Station.

The surname Peak is also associated with Sir Henry Peake (1792-1858), an English judge and politician who served as the Solicitor General for England and Wales from 1834 to 1835.

A more recent historical figure with the surname Peak was John Peak (1823-1903), a Welsh linguist and scholar who made significant contributions to the study of the Welsh language and literature.

Throughout history, the surname Peak has been found in various regions of England, particularly in counties such as Derbyshire, Staffordshire, and Yorkshire, where the landscape features distinctive peaks and hills.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Peak

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

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

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

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