2000
#7,116
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,329
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.60
Rare Last name
Peele
Derived from a Middle English nickname for a thin or gaunt person, from the word "pele" meaning "stake."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,570 Americans carry the last name Peele. That puts it at #7,971 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.33 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 75,001 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Peele 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 Peele with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.6K
1 in 75,001
Census rank
#7,971
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,985 bearers of the surname Peele in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.33 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7971st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Peele, the largest self-reported group is White at 58.4%. The next largest groups are Black (32.3%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Peele
The surname Peele has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "pele," which referred to a stockaded place or a small fort. This suggests that the name may have initially been used to identify someone who lived near or worked at such a fortified location.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Peele can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Pela." This document, commissioned by William the Conqueror, was a survey of landholdings across England, providing valuable insights into the distribution and variations of surnames during that era.
In the 13th century, the name was often spelled as "Peele" or "Pele," and it was commonly found in areas such as Lancashire, Yorkshire, and Northumberland. These regions were known for their defensive structures, which may have contributed to the name's prevalence there.
One notable figure who bore the name Peele was George Peele, an English playwright and poet who lived from around 1556 to 1596. He was a contemporary of William Shakespeare and is best known for his works "The Arraignment of Paris" and "The Old Wives' Tale."
Another prominent individual with this surname was Sir Robert Peele, an English politician and landowner who lived from 1585 to 1638. He served as a member of Parliament and played a significant role in the Virginia Company, which established the first permanent English settlement in North America at Jamestown.
In the 17th century, the name Peele was also found in various historical records, including parish registers and court documents. For instance, the baptismal record of John Peele in Betchworth, Surrey, dates back to 1652.
Moving forward to the 18th century, Edward Peele, born in 1721, was a notable English engraver and cartographer. He is particularly renowned for his intricate and detailed maps of various counties in England.
During the 19th century, the name Peele gained further recognition through individuals such as Jonathan Peele, an American inventor born in 1790. He is credited with developing the first practical wood-planing machine, which revolutionized the woodworking industry.
Throughout history, the surname Peele has been associated with various professions, from the military and politics to the arts and sciences. While its origins can be traced back to medieval England, the name has since spread across the globe, carried by individuals of diverse backgrounds and achievements.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Peele
Among Census respondents with the surname Peele, the largest self-reported group is White at 58.4%. The next largest groups are Black (32.3%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Peele 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 Peele surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White58.4% · 2,327
- Black or African American32.3% · 1,286
- Two or more races4.4% · 177
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 112
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.8% · 72
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Peele
Peele 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
#7,600
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,373
+44 bearers (+1.0%)
Per 100,000 1.48
Rank movement Down 484 places
2020
#7,971
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,985
-388 bearers (-8.9%)
Per 100,000 1.33
Rank movement Down 371 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,116 | 4,329 | 1.60 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,600 | 4,373 | 1.48 | +44 bearers (+1.0%) | Down 484 places |
| 2020 | #7,971 | 3,985 | 1.33 | -388 bearers (-8.9%) | Down 371 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 Peele 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 | #7,600 | #7,971 | -4.9% |
| Count | 4,373 | 3,985 | -8.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.48 | 1.33 | -9.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Peele bearers went from 4,373 to 3,985 (-8.9% change). The surname moved down 371 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,600 to #7,971.
FAQ
Peele surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Peele?
Name Census estimates that about 4,570 living Americans carry the surname Peele. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 75,001 residents.
How common is Peele?
Peele ranks #7,971 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.33 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 3,985 people with the surname Peele. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,570), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.33 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.33 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 Peele.
Has Peele become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Peele went from 4,373 recorded bearers to 3,985. That is a decrease of 388 (-8.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,600 to #7,971.
What does the Census say about the background of Peele?
Among Census respondents with the surname Peele, the largest self-reported group is White at 58.4%. The next largest groups are Black (32.3%) and Two or More Races (4.4%). 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 Peele in the 2020 Census, accounting for 58.4% (2,327 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Peele appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (58.4%), Black (32.3%), Two or More Races (4.4%). 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 Peele (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 Peele mean?
Derived from a Middle English nickname for a thin or gaunt person, from the word "pele" meaning "stake." 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 Peele (1.33 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 Peele?
If you just want to know how common the surname Peele is, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.