2000
#6,349
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,937
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.83
Rare Last name
Peckham
A locational surname derived from a place name meaning "homestead by a peak" in Old English.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,216 Americans carry the last name Peckham. That puts it at #7,087 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.52 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 65,712 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Peckham 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 Peckham with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.2K
1 in 65,712
Census rank
#7,087
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,549 bearers of the surname Peckham in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.52 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7087th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Peckham, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.7%) and Hispanic (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Peckham
The surname Peckham has its origins in England, with the earliest recorded instances dating back to the 11th century. It is derived from the Old English words "pec" and "ham," which together translate to "the homestead or village by the hill or peak." This suggests that the name originated from a place name, likely referring to a settlement situated near a prominent hill or elevated terrain.
One of the earliest mentions of the Peckham name can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of landowners and their holdings commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The entry lists a landowner named Radulfus de Peckham, indicating the presence of the surname in medieval England.
During the Middle Ages, the Peckham family rose to prominence, particularly in the county of Kent. Records from the 13th century mention a Sir John Peckham, who served as the Lord of the Manor of Peckham in Kent. Another notable figure was Archbishop John Peckham (c. 1230-1292), a prominent prelate who served as the Archbishop of Canterbury from 1279 until his death.
As the surname spread across England, it underwent various spellings, including Peckham, Peckam, and Peccham. These variations likely resulted from regional dialects and the inconsistent spelling conventions of the time.
In the 16th century, a notable bearer of the Peckham name was Sir George Peckham (c. 1516-1608), an English merchant and adventurer who played a significant role in the early voyages and colonization efforts of the English in the Americas.
Another prominent individual was Sir Robert Peckham (1564-1636), an English lawyer and Member of Parliament who served as the Lord Chief Justice of Ireland from 1624 to 1636.
During the 17th century, the Peckham family had a strong presence in Virginia, one of the original thirteen colonies of British North America. Robert Peckham (c. 1617-1663) was an early settler and landowner in Virginia, and his descendants continued to play important roles in the colonial and post-colonial history of the region.
In the 18th century, Reverend Joseph Peckham (1711-1786) was a notable clergyman and educator in New England, serving as the rector of King's Chapel in Boston and later as the first Vice President of Brown University.
As the Peckham surname spread across different regions and countries, it continued to be associated with various notable individuals, including scientists, artists, and politicians, further enriching its historical legacy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Peckham
Among Census respondents with the surname Peckham, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.7%) and Hispanic (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Peckham 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 Peckham surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.9% · 4,179
- Two or more races3.7% · 167
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 141
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 33
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 16
- Black or African American0.3% · 13
Timeline
Historical Census data for Peckham
Peckham 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
#6,882
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,885
-52 bearers (-1.1%)
Per 100,000 1.66
Rank movement Down 533 places
2020
#7,087
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,549
-336 bearers (-6.9%)
Per 100,000 1.52
Rank movement Down 205 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,349 | 4,937 | 1.83 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,882 | 4,885 | 1.66 | -52 bearers (-1.1%) | Down 533 places |
| 2020 | #7,087 | 4,549 | 1.52 | -336 bearers (-6.9%) | Down 205 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 Peckham 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 | #6,882 | #7,087 | -3.0% |
| Count | 4,885 | 4,549 | -6.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.66 | 1.52 | -8.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Peckham bearers went from 4,885 to 4,549 (-6.9% change). The surname moved down 205 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,882 to #7,087.
FAQ
Peckham surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Peckham?
Name Census estimates that about 5,216 living Americans carry the surname Peckham. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 65,712 residents.
How common is Peckham?
Peckham ranks #7,087 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.52 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,549 people with the surname Peckham. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,216), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.52 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.52 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Peckham.
Has Peckham become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Peckham went from 4,885 recorded bearers to 4,549. That is a decrease of 336 (-6.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,882 to #7,087.
What does the Census say about the background of Peckham?
Among Census respondents with the surname Peckham, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.7%) and Hispanic (3.1%). 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 Peckham in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.9% (4,179 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Peckham appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.9%), Two or More Races (3.7%), Hispanic (3.1%). 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 Peckham (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 Peckham mean?
A locational surname derived from a place name meaning "homestead by a peak" 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 Peckham (1.52 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 are called Peckham?
See how many people are called Peckham on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.