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

Peals, 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 Peals surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Peals in America

Peals is the 80419th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Peals surname appeared 236 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 Peals.

We can also compare 2010 data for Peals 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 Peals

The surname Peals has its origins in England, and can be traced back to the 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "peal," which referred to a loud ringing sound or a peal of bells. This suggests that the name may have been originally associated with someone who lived near a church or abbey, or perhaps a bell-ringer.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the Poll Tax records of Yorkshire from the year 1379, where a John Pele is listed. It is likely that this was an early spelling variation of the name Peals.

In the 16th century, the surname appears in various parish records across England, including those of Lincolnshire and Norfolk. Notably, a Thomas Pealls was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Norfolk in 1581.

The Peals surname has been linked to several place names in England, such as Peele in Lancashire, and Peel in the Isle of Man. These place names may have influenced the spelling variations of the surname over time.

One notable bearer of the Peals surname was William Peale (1556-1637), an English clergyman who served as the Rector of Tatenhill in Staffordshire during the early 17th century.

Another individual of historical significance was Sir Robert Peale (1602-1667), an English politician and landowner who served as a member of parliament for Nottinghamshire during the English Civil War era.

In the 18th century, the Peals surname appeared in various records, including those of John Peals (1715-1789), a prominent merchant and landowner from Dorset.

The 19th century saw the birth of several notable individuals with the Peals surname, such as James Peale (1819-1898), an American artist and member of the famous Peale family of painters.

Finally, in the 20th century, one cannot overlook the contributions of Everett Peale (1909-1983), an American composer and music educator who taught at several prestigious universities.

Throughout its long history, the Peals surname has maintained a strong presence in England and beyond, with its origins rooted in the ancient traditions and sounds of church bells.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Peals

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

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

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

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