2000
#3,811
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,540
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.17
Rare Last name
Peebles
A Scottish locational surname derived from a place near Peebles in southern Scotland.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 9,488 Americans carry the last name Peebles. That puts it at #4,152 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.77 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 36,125 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Peebles 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 Peebles with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
9.5K
1 in 36,125
Census rank
#4,152
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
8.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 8,274 bearers of the surname Peebles in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.77 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4152nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Peebles, the largest self-reported group is White at 64.1%. The next largest groups are Black (27.0%) and Two or More Races (4.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Peebles
The surname Peebles has its origins in Scotland, dating back to the 12th century. It is a locational name derived from the town of Peebles, located in the Scottish Borders region. The name is thought to come from the Brythonic word "pebyll," meaning a tent or temporary dwelling, referring to the early settlements in the area.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which lists individuals who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. The entry "Willi'am de Pebbles" is likely one of the first documented uses of the surname.
In the 14th century, a notable figure named John Peebles was a monk and chronicler at the Abbey of St. Albans in England. He authored a chronicle of events from 1323 to 1368, providing valuable insights into the period.
During the 16th century, Andrew Peebles (c. 1505-1558) was a Scottish politician and judge who served as Lord Clerk Register of Scotland under Mary, Queen of Scots. He played a significant role in the legal and administrative affairs of the time.
In the 18th century, Samuel Peebles (1719-1796) was a prominent merchant and landowner in Virginia, United States. He was involved in the colonial trade and held several public offices, including serving as a justice of the peace.
Another notable figure was William Peebles (1853-1923), a Scottish-born Australian poet and writer. He gained recognition for his works depicting life in the Australian outback and contributed to the development of Australian literature.
The name Peebles has also been associated with various place names in Scotland, such as Peeblesshire, a historic county named after the town of Peebles, and Peebles Water, a river that flows through the area.
While the surname Peebles originated in Scotland, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and descent. However, its roots remain firmly tied to the historic town and region of Peebles in the Scottish Borders.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Peebles
Among Census respondents with the surname Peebles, the largest self-reported group is White at 64.1%. The next largest groups are Black (27.0%) and Two or More Races (4.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Peebles 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 Peebles surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White64.1% · 5,301
- Black or African American27.0% · 2,238
- Two or more races4.6% · 377
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 247
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 59
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 52
Timeline
Historical Census data for Peebles
Peebles 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
#4,021
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,843
+303 bearers (+3.5%)
Per 100,000 3.00
Rank movement Down 210 places
2020
#4,152
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,274
-569 bearers (-6.4%)
Per 100,000 2.77
Rank movement Down 131 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,811 | 8,540 | 3.17 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,021 | 8,843 | 3.00 | +303 bearers (+3.5%) | Down 210 places |
| 2020 | #4,152 | 8,274 | 2.77 | -569 bearers (-6.4%) | Down 131 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 Peebles 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 | #4,021 | #4,152 | -3.3% |
| Count | 8,843 | 8,274 | -6.4% |
| Per 100K | 3.00 | 2.77 | -7.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Peebles bearers went from 8,843 to 8,274 (-6.4% change). The surname moved down 131 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,021 to #4,152.
FAQ
Peebles surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Peebles?
Name Census estimates that about 9,488 living Americans carry the surname Peebles. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 36,125 residents.
How common is Peebles?
Peebles ranks #4,152 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.77 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 8,274 people with the surname Peebles. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (9,488), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.77 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.77 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Peebles.
Has Peebles become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Peebles went from 8,843 recorded bearers to 8,274. That is a decrease of 569 (-6.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,021 to #4,152.
What does the Census say about the background of Peebles?
Among Census respondents with the surname Peebles, the largest self-reported group is White at 64.1%. The next largest groups are Black (27.0%) and Two or More Races (4.6%). 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 Peebles in the 2020 Census, accounting for 64.1% (5,301 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Peebles appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (64.1%), Black (27.0%), Two or More Races (4.6%). 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 Peebles (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 Peebles mean?
A Scottish locational surname derived from a place near Peebles in southern Scotland. 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 Peebles (2.77 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 share the surname Peebles?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.