2000
#4,657
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,961
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.58
Rare Last name
Peeples
Derived from the Old English word "pipe" or "pepe," referring to someone who lived near a water channel.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 8,292 Americans carry the last name Peeples. That puts it at #4,744 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.42 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 41,336 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Peeples 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.
Bearers in the US
8.3K
1 in 41,336
Census rank
#4,744
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
7.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 7,231 bearers of the surname Peeples in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.42 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4744th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Peeples, the largest self-reported group is White at 58.2%. The next largest groups are Black (34.7%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Peeples
The surname Peeples is believed to have originated in England, with the earliest known records dating back to the 13th century. It is thought to have derived from the Old English word "pȳpel," which referred to a small stream or brook, suggesting that the name may have been given to someone who lived near a small body of water.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1275, where a Richard Pypelee is listed. This spelling variation, along with others such as Pippelay and Pippeley, provides insight into the evolving form of the surname over time.
In the 14th century, the name appears in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield, where a John Pyppelay is mentioned in 1348. This record is significant as it demonstrates the widespread use of the name across different regions of England during this period.
The Peeples surname also has connections to various place names across England. For instance, the village of Pippley in Northamptonshire may have influenced the surname's spelling and pronunciation in certain areas.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the Peeples surname. One such individual was William Peeples, a merchant and landowner who lived in London during the late 16th century. Another was John Peeples, a prominent artist from the 18th century, known for his exquisite landscape paintings.
In the 19th century, Sarah Peeples (1819-1903) was a respected educator and advocate for women's rights in the United States. Her contributions to the advancement of education for women were widely recognized during her lifetime.
Another noteworthy figure was Robert Peeples (1870-1942), an American businessman and entrepreneur who founded the Peeples Trading Company, which played a significant role in the import and export trade between the United States and Latin America.
Lastly, one cannot overlook the contributions of James Peeples (1922-2008), a renowned jazz pianist and composer who was celebrated for his innovative and influential style. His music left a lasting impact on the jazz scene of the 20th century.
Overall, the surname Peeples has a rich history that spans centuries and crosses geographical boundaries, with its origins deeply rooted in the English language and landscape. From its humble beginnings as a descriptor of one's proximity to a small stream, the name has evolved and been carried by individuals who have made their mark in various fields throughout the ages.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Peeples
Among Census respondents with the surname Peeples, the largest self-reported group is White at 58.2%. The next largest groups are Black (34.7%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Peeples 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 Peeples surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White58.2% · 4,209
- Black or African American34.7% · 2,507
- Two or more races4.0% · 288
- Hispanic or Latino2.5% · 183
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 28
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 16
Timeline
Historical Census data for Peeples
Peeples 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
#4,732
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,499
+538 bearers (+7.7%)
Per 100,000 2.54
Rank movement Down 75 places
2020
#4,744
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,231
-268 bearers (-3.6%)
Per 100,000 2.42
Rank movement Down 12 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,657 | 6,961 | 2.58 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,732 | 7,499 | 2.54 | +538 bearers (+7.7%) | Down 75 places |
| 2020 | #4,744 | 7,231 | 2.42 | -268 bearers (-3.6%) | Down 12 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 Peeples 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 | #4,732 | #4,744 | -0.3% |
| Count | 7,499 | 7,231 | -3.6% |
| Per 100K | 2.54 | 2.42 | -4.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Peeples bearers went from 7,499 to 7,231 (-3.6% change). The surname moved down 12 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,732 to #4,744.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Peeples
FAQ
Peeples surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Peeples?
Name Census estimates that about 8,292 living Americans carry the surname Peeples. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 41,336 residents.
How common is Peeples?
Peeples ranks #4,744 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.42 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 7,231 people with the surname Peeples. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (8,292), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.42 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.42 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 Peeples.
Has Peeples become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Peeples went from 7,499 recorded bearers to 7,231. That is a decrease of 268 (-3.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,732 to #4,744.
What does the Census say about the background of Peeples?
Among Census respondents with the surname Peeples, the largest self-reported group is White at 58.2%. The next largest groups are Black (34.7%) and Two or More Races (4.0%). 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 Peeples in the 2020 Census, accounting for 58.2% (4,209 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Peeples appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (58.2%), Black (34.7%), Two or More Races (4.0%). 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 Peeples (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 Peeples mean?
Derived from the Old English word "pipe" or "pepe," referring to someone who lived near a water channel. 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 Peeples (2.42 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 Peeples?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.