2000
#6,601
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,737
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.76
Rare Last name
Peake
An English toponymic surname derived from the Old English word "pēac," meaning "hill" or "peak."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,102 Americans carry the last name Peake. That puts it at #7,236 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.49 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 67,180 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Peake 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 Peake with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.1K
1 in 67,180
Census rank
#7,236
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,449 bearers of the surname Peake in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.49 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7236th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Peake, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.3%. The next largest groups are Black (19.5%) and Two or More Races (4.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Peake
The surname PEAKE is believed to have originated in England during the Middle Ages, likely deriving from a place name or a topographical feature. One potential origin is the Old English word "peak," which referred to a pointed hill or mountain peak. This suggests that the name may have initially been given to someone who lived near a prominent peak or in a hilly region.
Historically, the PEAKE surname has been found in various regions of England, including Yorkshire, Derbyshire, and Staffordshire. These areas are known for their rugged landscapes and mountainous terrain, lending credence to the theory of a topographical origin for the name.
In the famous Domesday Book, a record of landowners and properties compiled in 1086 by order of William the Conqueror, there are several entries mentioning individuals with the name PEAKE or similar spellings, such as "Pec" and "Peke." This indicates that the surname was already in use by the late 11th century.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the PEAKE surname dates back to the 13th century, when a John del Peke was mentioned in the Assize Rolls of Yorkshire in 1219. The use of the prefix "del" suggests that he may have been from a place called Peke or a similar location.
In the 14th century, a notable figure bearing the name was Sir John Peake (c. 1330-1380), a English knight and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Derbyshire. He was also known for his involvement in the Hundred Years' War against France.
Another prominent individual with the PEAKE surname was Sir Robert Peake (c. 1592-1667), an English painter and writer who served as a picture-maker to King James I and King Charles I. He is remembered for his portraits of various members of the royal family and nobility.
During the 17th century, Thomas Peake (1637-1686) was a celebrated English playwright and author, best known for his comedic works such as "The Mulberry Garden" and "The Islington Husbandman."
In the 19th century, Robert Edmund Peake (1835-1905) was a renowned British architect who designed several notable buildings, including the Whitworth Art Gallery in Manchester and the Buxton Opera House.
Throughout its history, the PEAKE surname has also been associated with various place names and locations, such as Peakhill in Derbyshire, Peakland View in Yorkshire, and Peake's Parlour, a unique rock formation in the Peak District National Park.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Peake
Among Census respondents with the surname Peake, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.3%. The next largest groups are Black (19.5%) and Two or More Races (4.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Peake 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 Peake surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White71.3% · 3,171
- Black or African American19.5% · 866
- Two or more races4.9% · 217
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 125
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 37
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 33
Timeline
Historical Census data for Peake
Peake 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
#6,594
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,137
+400 bearers (+8.4%)
Per 100,000 1.74
Rank movement Up 7 places
2020
#7,236
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,449
-688 bearers (-13.4%)
Per 100,000 1.49
Rank movement Down 642 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,601 | 4,737 | 1.76 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,594 | 5,137 | 1.74 | +400 bearers (+8.4%) | Up 7 places |
| 2020 | #7,236 | 4,449 | 1.49 | -688 bearers (-13.4%) | Down 642 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 Peake 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 | #6,594 | #7,236 | -9.7% |
| Count | 5,137 | 4,449 | -13.4% |
| Per 100K | 1.74 | 1.49 | -14.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Peake bearers went from 5,137 to 4,449 (-13.4% change). The surname moved down 642 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,594 to #7,236.
FAQ
Peake surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Peake?
Name Census estimates that about 5,102 living Americans carry the surname Peake. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 67,180 residents.
How common is Peake?
Peake ranks #7,236 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.49 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 4,449 people with the surname Peake. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,102), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.49 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.49 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 Peake.
Has Peake become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Peake went from 5,137 recorded bearers to 4,449. That is a decrease of 688 (-13.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,594 to #7,236.
What does the Census say about the background of Peake?
Among Census respondents with the surname Peake, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.3%. The next largest groups are Black (19.5%) and Two or More Races (4.9%). 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 Peake in the 2020 Census, accounting for 71.3% (3,171 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Peake appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (71.3%), Black (19.5%), Two or More Races (4.9%). 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 Peake (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 Peake mean?
An English toponymic surname derived from the Old English word "pēac," meaning "hill" or "peak." 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 Peake (1.49 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 have the surname Peake?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.