2000
#13,685
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,033
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.75
Rare Last name
Peavey
A surname of English origin, derived from the Old French word "pavé," meaning "paved road" or "highway."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,207 Americans carry the last name Peavey. That puts it at #14,793 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.64 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 155,303 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Peavey 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.
Bearers in the US
2.2K
1 in 155,303
Census rank
#14,793
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,925 bearers of the surname Peavey in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.64 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14793rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Peavey, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.7%) and Black (4.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Peavey
The surname Peavey has its origins in England and dates back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "pēafoc," which means "peacock." This suggests that the name may have been originally given as a nickname to someone who had a flamboyant or colorful personality, similar to the majestic bird.
The earliest recorded instance of the surname Peavey can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire in 1273, where it appeared as "Pevey." This spelling variation highlights the fluid nature of surnames during that era, as they were often subject to changes based on local dialects and the preferences of scribes.
In the 14th century, the name Peavey was documented in various historical records, including the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327 and the Poll Tax returns of Yorkshire in 1379. These records provide insight into the geographic distribution of the name during that time period.
One notable bearer of the Peavey surname was John Peavey, who was born in Gloucestershire, England, in 1562. He was a prominent merchant and alderman in the city of Bristol, and his name appears in several municipal records from the late 16th and early 17th centuries.
Another individual of historical significance was Reverend Thomas Peavey (1684-1758), an English clergyman and author who served as the Rector of St. Mary's Church in Burnham, Norfolk. He published several theological works during his lifetime, including a treatise on the Thirty-Nine Articles of the Church of England.
In the 18th century, the Peavey surname made its way across the Atlantic to the American colonies. One early bearer was Samuel Peavey (1723-1792), a farmer and militiaman from Massachusetts who fought in the American Revolutionary War.
The Peavey name has also been associated with several place names in England, such as Peavey Hill in Wiltshire and Peavey Farm in Gloucestershire. These place names may have been derived from the surname itself or vice versa, further emphasizing the connection between the name and its geographical origins.
Other notable individuals with the surname Peavey include George Peavey (1815-1888), a businessman and politician from Maine who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives, and Hartley Peavey (born 1942), the founder of Peavey Electronics, a leading manufacturer of musical instruments and audio equipment.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Peavey
Among Census respondents with the surname Peavey, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.7%) and Black (4.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Peavey 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 Peavey surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.2% · 1,660
- Two or more races4.7% · 91
- Black or African American4.4% · 85
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 68
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 14
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Peavey
Peavey 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
#14,617
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,036
+3 bearers (+0.1%)
Per 100,000 0.69
Rank movement Down 932 places
2020
#14,793
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,925
-111 bearers (-5.5%)
Per 100,000 0.64
Rank movement Down 176 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,685 | 2,033 | 0.75 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,617 | 2,036 | 0.69 | +3 bearers (+0.1%) | Down 932 places |
| 2020 | #14,793 | 1,925 | 0.64 | -111 bearers (-5.5%) | Down 176 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 Peavey 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 | #14,617 | #14,793 | -1.2% |
| Count | 2,036 | 1,925 | -5.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.69 | 0.64 | -6.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Peavey bearers went from 2,036 to 1,925 (-5.5% change). The surname moved down 176 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,617 to #14,793.
FAQ
Peavey surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Peavey?
Name Census estimates that about 2,207 living Americans carry the surname Peavey. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 155,303 residents.
How common is Peavey?
Peavey ranks #14,793 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.64 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 1,925 people with the surname Peavey. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,207), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.64 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.64 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 Peavey.
Has Peavey become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Peavey went from 2,036 recorded bearers to 1,925. That is a decrease of 111 (-5.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #14,617 to #14,793.
What does the Census say about the background of Peavey?
Among Census respondents with the surname Peavey, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.7%) and Black (4.4%). 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 Peavey in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.2% (1,660 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Peavey appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.2%), Two or More Races (4.7%), Black (4.4%). 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 Peavey (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 Peavey mean?
A surname of English origin, derived from the Old French word "pavé," meaning "paved road" or "highway." 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 Peavey (0.64 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 Peavey?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.