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

Pech, 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 Pech surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Pech in America

Pech is the 15579th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Pech surname appeared 1,877 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Pech.

We can also compare 2010 data for Pech 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 Pech

The surname PECH is believed to have originated in France, specifically in the region of Languedoc. It is derived from an old French word "pech," which means "hill" or "peak." This suggests that the name may have been initially given to someone who lived on or near a hill or mountain.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name PECH can be found in the 12th century, where it appears in the records of the Abbey of Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert in the Hérault region of southern France. This suggests that the name had already been well-established in the area by that time.

In the 13th century, the name PECH is found in various charters and documents from the Languedoc region, often in connection with place names such as Pech-Blanc, Pech-Rouger, and Pech-Noir. These place names further reinforce the idea that the surname was originally associated with specific geographical features.

During the Middle Ages, several notable individuals bore the surname PECH. One such person was Guilhem de Pech, a troubadour and poet who lived in the late 12th and early 13th centuries. Another was Bertran de Pech, a knight who fought in the Albigensian Crusade in the early 13th century.

In the 14th century, the PECH surname appears in the records of the Parlement of Toulouse, one of the highest courts of justice in southern France at the time. This suggests that the family had gained some prominence and social standing in the region.

As the centuries passed, the PECH surname spread beyond the Languedoc region and into other parts of France. Notable individuals with this surname include Jean-Baptiste Pech (1761-1834), a French portrait painter and engraver, and Jean Pech (1850-1920), a French journalist and politician who served as a deputy in the National Assembly.

Beyond France, the PECH surname can also be found in other European countries, such as Spain and Italy, where it may have been introduced by French immigrants or travelers. For example, Juan Pech (1540-1612) was a Spanish theologian and author from Valencia, while Antonio Pech (1659-1728) was an Italian architect and sculptor from Naples.

Throughout its history, the surname PECH has maintained a strong connection to its geographical origins and the concept of hills or peaks. While it has spread across regions and countries, its roots can be traced back to the hills of southern France and the Languedoc region.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Pech

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!