Find out how popular the last name Peer is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Peer.

Peer, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Peer surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Peer in America

Peer is the 8773rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Peer surname appeared 3,736 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Peer.

We can also compare 2010 data for Peer to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Peer

The surname PEER is of English origin, deriving from the Old English word "pere," which means "pear tree." This surname likely originated in the medieval period and was initially used to identify individuals who lived near or owned land with pear trees.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname PEER can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive record of landowners and properties in England at the time of the Norman Conquest. The Domesday Book mentions a person named Radulfus Peer, who held lands in Oxfordshire.

During the 13th and 14th centuries, the surname PEER appeared in various records and documents across England. For example, the Hundred Rolls of 1273 mention a William le Peer residing in Cambridgeshire. The Subsidy Rolls of 1327 list a John Peer in Somerset.

The surname PEER may also be associated with certain place names, such as Peerston or Peertown, which were derived from the Old English words "pere" and "tun," meaning "pear tree settlement."

Notable individuals with the surname PEER throughout history include:

1. Sir Robert Peer (1588-1670), an English politician and member of parliament during the English Civil War.
2. Henry Peer (1612-1690), an English Puritan minister and author who wrote several religious works.
3. Mary Peer (1789-1853), a British painter and illustrator known for her botanical illustrations.
4. William Peer (1823-1899), an American engineer who designed and constructed several bridges and railroads in the United States.
5. Arthur Peer (1886-1968), a British artist and sculptor known for his works depicting scenes from World War I.

These are just a few examples of individuals with the surname PEER who have left their mark throughout history, demonstrating the rich heritage and diverse backgrounds associated with this name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Peer

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Peer.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Peer was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Peer has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Peer was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Peer, please contact us.

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