2000
#2,592
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,828
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.76
Uncommon Last name
Pease
An English occupational surname referring to a grower or seller of peas.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 13,653 Americans carry the last name Pease. That puts it at #2,956 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.98 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 25,105 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pease 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 Pease with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
14K
1 in 25,105
Census rank
#2,956
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
4.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
12K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 11,906 bearers of the surname Pease in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.98 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2956th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pease, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Hispanic (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pease
The surname Pease originated in England, derived from the Old English word "pese," meaning pea. It likely referred to someone who cultivated peas or lived near a pea field. The name first appeared in historical records in the late 12th century.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Pease can be found in the Curia Regis Rolls of 1208, where a William Pese is mentioned. The Hundred Rolls of 1273 also lists a Roger Pese in Norfolk.
In the 13th century, the name was often spelled Pese or Pease. Over time, it evolved into various spellings, including Peas, Peaze, and Pease. The surname Pease was particularly prevalent in Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Norfolk.
The Domesday Book, compiled in 1086, does not contain any direct references to the surname Pease. However, it does mention several place names that may have contributed to the formation of the surname, such as Peasenhall in Suffolk and Peasmarsh in Sussex.
One notable individual with the surname Pease was Henry Pease (1807-1881), a prominent English industrialist and railway entrepreneur. He played a significant role in the development of the Stockton and Darlington Railway.
Another famous bearer of the name was Sir Joseph Pease (1772-1846), a wealthy Quaker industrialist and philanthropist from Darlington, England. He was instrumental in the establishment of the Stockton and Darlington Railway.
Edward Pease (1767-1858), a Quaker wool manufacturer and abolitionist from Darlington, was a prominent figure in the anti-slavery movement in Britain. He was also involved in the establishment of the Stockton and Darlington Railway.
Sir Alfred Edward Pease (1857-1939) was a British Liberal politician and industrialist from Darlington. He served as a Member of Parliament for several constituencies and held various positions in the government.
Thomas Pease (1795-1873), a Quaker industrialist and railway promoter from Darlington, played a significant role in the development of the Stockton and Darlington Railway and the West Durham coal industry.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pease
Among Census respondents with the surname Pease, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Hispanic (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Pease 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 Pease surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.6% · 10,553
- Two or more races3.8% · 452
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 385
- Black or African American2.1% · 246
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.5% · 179
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 91
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pease
Pease 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
#2,790
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,937
+109 bearers (+0.8%)
Per 100,000 4.39
Rank movement Down 198 places
2020
#2,956
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,906
-1,031 bearers (-8.0%)
Per 100,000 3.98
Rank movement Down 166 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,592 | 12,828 | 4.76 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,790 | 12,937 | 4.39 | +109 bearers (+0.8%) | Down 198 places |
| 2020 | #2,956 | 11,906 | 3.98 | -1,031 bearers (-8.0%) | Down 166 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 Pease 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 | #2,790 | #2,956 | -5.9% |
| Count | 12,937 | 11,906 | -8.0% |
| Per 100K | 4.39 | 3.98 | -9.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pease bearers went from 12,937 to 11,906 (-8.0% change). The surname moved down 166 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,790 to #2,956.
FAQ
Pease surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pease?
Name Census estimates that about 13,653 living Americans carry the surname Pease. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 25,105 residents.
How common is Pease?
Pease ranks #2,956 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.98 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 11,906 people with the surname Pease. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (13,653), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.98 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.98 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Pease.
Has Pease become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pease went from 12,937 recorded bearers to 11,906. That is a decrease of 1,031 (-8.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,790 to #2,956.
What does the Census say about the background of Pease?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pease, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Hispanic (3.2%). 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 Pease in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.6% (10,553 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pease appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.6%), Two or More Races (3.8%), Hispanic (3.2%). 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 Pease (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 Pease mean?
An English occupational surname referring to a grower or seller of peas. 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 Pease (3.98 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 Pease?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.