2000
#3,107
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,694
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.96
Uncommon Last name
Peek
An English occupational surname referring to someone who lived on or near a hill or mountain peak.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 11,770 Americans carry the last name Peek. That puts it at #3,407 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.43 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 29,121 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Peek 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 Peek with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
12K
1 in 29,121
Census rank
#3,407
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
10K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 10,264 bearers of the surname Peek in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.43 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3407th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Peek, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.4%. The next largest groups are Black (10.0%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Peek
The surname PEEK is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "peak" or "peke," meaning a peak, point, or hill. The name likely originated as a descriptive term for someone who lived near a prominent peak or hilltop.
The name PEEK can be traced back to the 12th century in England, where it was first recorded in the Pipe Rolls of Lancashire in 1176. It is believed to have originated in the northern counties of England, particularly in Lancashire and Yorkshire, where many early bearers of the name were found.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name PEEK appeared in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it was listed as "Pec" or "Peke." This suggests that the name had established itself in England by the time of the Norman Conquest in 1066.
In the 13th century, the name PEEK was also found in various spellings, such as "Peake," "Peke," and "Peek." These variations were likely due to regional dialects and the inconsistencies in spelling during that period.
Notable individuals with the surname PEEK include Sir Henry Peke (c. 1343 - c. 1419), an English soldier and Member of Parliament during the reign of King Henry IV. Another prominent bearer of the name was Sir Robert Peke (c. 1380 - 1453), a English knight and landowner in Derbyshire.
During the 16th century, the name PEEK was found in various parts of England, including Yorkshire, Derbyshire, and Staffordshire. One notable figure from this period was William Peek (c. 1505 - 1588), a merchant and landowner from Yorkshire.
In the 17th century, the surname PEEK continued to be prominent in the northern counties of England. One notable individual was Sir William Peek (1628 - 1707), a wealthy merchant and politician from Yorkshire who served as Lord Mayor of York.
The 18th century saw the name PEEK spread further across England, with bearers of the name found in various counties. A notable figure from this period was Sir Henry Peek (1712 - 1798), a wealthy merchant and philanthropist from Derbyshire.
As the name PEEK evolved over the centuries, it also gave rise to various place names, such as Peek Hill in Derbyshire and Peek Green in Lancashire, which further reinforced the connection between the surname and its geographical origins.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Peek
Among Census respondents with the surname Peek, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.4%. The next largest groups are Black (10.0%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Peek 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 Peek surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White81.4% · 8,351
- Black or African American10.0% · 1,029
- Two or more races4.1% · 417
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 350
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 63
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 54
Timeline
Historical Census data for Peek
Peek 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
#3,263
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,062
+368 bearers (+3.4%)
Per 100,000 3.75
Rank movement Down 156 places
2020
#3,407
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,264
-798 bearers (-7.2%)
Per 100,000 3.43
Rank movement Down 144 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,107 | 10,694 | 3.96 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,263 | 11,062 | 3.75 | +368 bearers (+3.4%) | Down 156 places |
| 2020 | #3,407 | 10,264 | 3.43 | -798 bearers (-7.2%) | Down 144 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 Peek 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 | #3,263 | #3,407 | -4.4% |
| Count | 11,062 | 10,264 | -7.2% |
| Per 100K | 3.75 | 3.43 | -8.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Peek bearers went from 11,062 to 10,264 (-7.2% change). The surname moved down 144 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,263 to #3,407.
FAQ
Peek surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Peek?
Name Census estimates that about 11,770 living Americans carry the surname Peek. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 29,121 residents.
How common is Peek?
Peek ranks #3,407 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.43 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 10,264 people with the surname Peek. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (11,770), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.43 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.43 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 Peek.
Has Peek become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Peek went from 11,062 recorded bearers to 10,264. That is a decrease of 798 (-7.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,263 to #3,407.
What does the Census say about the background of Peek?
Among Census respondents with the surname Peek, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.4%. The next largest groups are Black (10.0%) and Two or More Races (4.1%). 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 Peek in the 2020 Census, accounting for 81.4% (8,351 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Peek appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (81.4%), Black (10.0%), Two or More Races (4.1%). 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 Peek (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 Peek mean?
An English occupational surname referring to someone who lived on or near a hill or mountain peak. 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 Peek (3.43 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 last name Peek?
Find out how many Americans have the surname Peek on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.