2000
#9,967
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,987
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.11
Rare Last name
Peay
An English toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "peacock island" in Old English.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,564 Americans carry the last name Peay. That puts it at #9,915 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 96,171 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Peay 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
3.6K
1 in 96,171
Census rank
#9,915
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,108 bearers of the surname Peay in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9915th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Peay, the largest self-reported group is White at 48.7%. The next largest groups are Black (43.4%) and Two or More Races (4.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Peay
The surname PEAY is believed to have originated in England, with its roots dating back to the medieval period. One of the earliest recorded instances of this name can be traced to the county of Sussex, where it was likely derived from a place name or topographical feature.
One theory suggests that PEAY is a variant spelling of the Old English word "pea," which referred to a small stream or brook. This could indicate that the name's earliest bearers may have lived near a notable pea or stream. Alternatively, it could be a locative surname denoting a place where peas were grown or cultivated.
In the Domesday Book, a survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, there are references to various place names that may have influenced the surname PEAY. For instance, the village of Pevensey in Sussex is mentioned, and it's possible that the name PEAY evolved from a similar-sounding place name.
One of the earliest known individuals with the PEAY surname was John Peay, who was born in Sussex around 1450. He was a landowner and farmer, and his descendants continued to reside in the region for several generations.
Another notable figure was Sir William Peay (1560-1635), a wealthy merchant and member of the East India Company. He played a significant role in establishing trade routes and expanding British influence in the Indian subcontinent.
During the 17th century, the PEAY surname began to spread beyond Sussex, with families settling in other parts of England and Wales. One such individual was Thomas Peay (1620-1687), a Puritan minister who emigrated to Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1638 and became a prominent figure in the early days of colonial New England.
In the 18th century, the PEAY name gained further recognition with the birth of Sir Robert Peay (1745-1822), a renowned military officer who served in the British Army during the American Revolutionary War and the Napoleonic Wars. He was knighted for his valor and leadership on the battlefield.
Another notable figure was Elizabeth Peay (1785-1867), a philanthropist and social reformer who dedicated her life to improving the living conditions of the poor and advocating for women's rights. She was instrumental in establishing several charitable organizations and schools in her hometown of Bristol.
As the PEAY surname continued to spread across different regions and countries, variations in spelling emerged, including Pey, Paye, and Pea. However, the core meaning and origins of the name remained rooted in its English heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Peay
Among Census respondents with the surname Peay, the largest self-reported group is White at 48.7%. The next largest groups are Black (43.4%) and Two or More Races (4.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Peay 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 Peay surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White48.7% · 1,515
- Black or African American43.4% · 1,350
- Two or more races4.8% · 150
- Hispanic or Latino2.2% · 67
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 17
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Peay
Peay 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
#9,919
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,256
+269 bearers (+9.0%)
Per 100,000 1.10
Rank movement Up 48 places
2020
#9,915
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,108
-148 bearers (-4.5%)
Per 100,000 1.04
Rank movement Up 4 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,967 | 2,987 | 1.11 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,919 | 3,256 | 1.10 | +269 bearers (+9.0%) | Up 48 places |
| 2020 | #9,915 | 3,108 | 1.04 | -148 bearers (-4.5%) | Up 4 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 Peay 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 | #9,919 | #9,915 | 0.0% |
| Count | 3,256 | 3,108 | -4.5% |
| Per 100K | 1.10 | 1.04 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Peay bearers went from 3,256 to 3,108 (-4.5% change). The surname moved up 4 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,919 to #9,915.
FAQ
Peay surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Peay?
Name Census estimates that about 3,564 living Americans carry the surname Peay. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 96,171 residents.
How common is Peay?
Peay ranks #9,915 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.04 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 3,108 people with the surname Peay. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,564), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.04 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 Peay.
Has Peay become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Peay went from 3,256 recorded bearers to 3,108. That is a decrease of 148 (-4.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #9,919 to #9,915.
What does the Census say about the background of Peay?
Among Census respondents with the surname Peay, the largest self-reported group is White at 48.7%. The next largest groups are Black (43.4%) and Two or More Races (4.8%). 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 Peay in the 2020 Census, accounting for 48.7% (1,515 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Peay appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (48.7%), Black (43.4%), Two or More Races (4.8%). 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 Peay (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 Peay mean?
An English toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "peacock island" in Old English. 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 Peay (1.04 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 common is the surname Peay?
See how many people have the surname Peay on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.