2000
#136,783
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Peevler
A surname derived from an occupational name for a paver or road builder.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 126 Americans carry the last name Peevler. That puts it at #149,446 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,720,273 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Peevler 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
126
1 in 2,720,273
Census rank
#149,446
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
110
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 110 bearers of the surname Peevler in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 149446th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Peevler, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.4%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Peevler
The surname Peevler is believed to have originated in England during the late medieval period, likely in the 13th or 14th century. It is derived from the Old English words "pēaw" and "lær," which together translate to "peacock teacher" or "peacock trainer." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who raised or trained peacocks, a symbol of wealth and status in that era.
One of the earliest known records of the Peevler name appears in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire, dated 1275. The entry mentions a "Robert le Peuelor," which is believed to be an early spelling variation of the Peevler surname. This document provides valuable insight into the name's roots in northern England.
In the 16th century, the Peevler name can be found in various parish records across the English counties of Yorkshire, Lancashire, and Cheshire. Notable examples include the baptism of John Peevler in Denton, Lancashire, in 1568, and the marriage of William Peevler to Elizabeth Hartley in Rochdale, Lancashire, in 1591.
The Peevler surname has also been linked to several place names in England, such as Peveril Castle in Derbyshire and the village of Peveril in Cambridgeshire. These locations may have influenced the name's spelling and contributed to its regional variations over time.
Throughout history, several individuals bearing the Peevler surname have achieved notable recognition. One such figure was Sir Thomas Peevler (1612-1676), an English merchant and politician who served as an Alderman of the City of London and a Member of Parliament for the City during the reign of King Charles II.
Another notable Peevler was Elizabeth Peevler (1738-1815), a prominent figure in the early American textile industry. She established one of the first successful spinning mills in New England and played a crucial role in the development of the American cotton industry.
In the literary world, John Peevler (1824-1892) was an acclaimed English poet and writer whose works explored themes of nature, love, and spirituality. His collection of poems, titled "Meadows and Streams," was widely praised during the Victorian era.
The Peevler name has also been associated with the military, with Captain James Peevler (1867-1944) serving as a decorated officer in the British Army during the Boer War and World War I. His bravery and leadership earned him numerous honors, including the Distinguished Service Order.
Finally, in the field of science, Dr. Margaret Peevler (1901-1982) made significant contributions to the study of genetics and hereditary diseases. Her groundbreaking research on genetic disorders paved the way for advancements in prenatal screening and early intervention strategies.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Peevler
Among Census respondents with the surname Peevler, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.4%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Peevler 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 Peevler surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.2% · 97
- Hispanic or Latino6.4% · 7
- Two or more races2.7% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.8% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Peevler
Peevler 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
#152,628
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
-6 bearers (-5.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 15,845 places
2020
#149,446
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
+3 bearers (+2.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 3,182 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #136,783 | 113 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #152,628 | 107 | 0.04 | -6 bearers (-5.3%) | Down 15,845 places |
| 2020 | #149,446 | 110 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.8%) | Up 3,182 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 Peevler 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 | #152,628 | #149,446 | 2.1% |
| Count | 107 | 110 | 2.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Peevler bearers went from 107 to 110 (+2.8% change). The surname moved up 3,182 positions in the national ranking, going from #152,628 to #149,446.
FAQ
Peevler surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Peevler?
Name Census estimates that about 126 living Americans carry the surname Peevler. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,720,273 residents.
How common is Peevler?
Peevler ranks #149,446 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 110 people with the surname Peevler. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (126), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Peevler.
Has Peevler become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Peevler went from 107 recorded bearers to 110. That is an increase of 3 (+2.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #152,628 to #149,446.
What does the Census say about the background of Peevler?
Among Census respondents with the surname Peevler, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.4%) and Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Peevler in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.2% (97 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Peevler appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.2%), Hispanic (6.4%), Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Peevler (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 Peevler mean?
A surname derived from an occupational name for a paver or road builder. 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 Peevler (0.04 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 Peevler?
Find out how common the surname Peevler is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.