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

Peaks, 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 Peaks surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Peaks in America

Peaks is the 25064th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Peaks surname appeared 991 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Peaks.

We can also compare 2010 data for Peaks 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 Peaks

The surname PEAKS is of English origin, believed to have emerged in the 13th century. It is derived from the Old English word "peac," meaning a hill or mountain peak, suggesting that the name was initially given to someone who lived near or on a prominent hill or mountain.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the PEAKS surname can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire from 1273, where a person named Roger de la Pek is mentioned. The prefix "de la" in this entry suggests the name was originally a locational surname, referring to a specific place.

In the 14th century, the PEAKS surname appeared in various forms, such as Peek, Peke, and Peake, reflecting the varying spellings of the time. The Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327 include a reference to a Robert Peke, while the Poll Tax returns of Yorkshire from 1379 list a John Peek.

The PEAKS surname is also associated with several place names in England, such as Peak Hill in Derbyshire and Peak Forest in Staffordshire. These locations likely influenced the development and spread of the surname in different regions.

Notable individuals with the PEAKS surname throughout history include:

1. Sir Walter Peake (c. 1505-1572), an English soldier and politician who served as a Member of Parliament during the reign of Elizabeth I.

2. Robert Peake (c. 1551-1619), an English painter and engraver known for his portraits of Queen Elizabeth I and other courtiers.

3. James Peake (1585-1641), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Master of Magdalene College, Cambridge.

4. John Peake (1613-1671), an English politician and Member of Parliament during the English Civil War.

5. Robert Peake (1592-1667), an English politician and Member of Parliament known for his involvement in the trial of King Charles I.

The PEAKS surname has been present in various regions of England for centuries, with notable concentrations in counties like Derbyshire, Staffordshire, and Yorkshire, where it likely originated from the geographical features and place names associated with the name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Peaks

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

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

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

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