2000
#10,097
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,943
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.09
Rare Last name
Pegg
An English occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of pegs or nails.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,964 Americans carry the last name Pegg. That puts it at #11,619 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.86 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 115,639 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pegg 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 Pegg with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.0K
1 in 115,639
Census rank
#11,619
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,585 bearers of the surname Pegg in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.86 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11619th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pegg, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pegg
The surname "PEGG" is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period, primarily in the county of Derbyshire. It is thought to have derived from the Old English word "peg," which referred to a wooden pin or stake used for securing objects or marking boundaries.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Derbyshire from the year 1199, where a person named Radulfus Peg is mentioned. This suggests that the surname may have initially been used as a descriptive term for someone who worked with pegs or lived near a boundary marked by pegs.
In the 13th century, the surname appeared in various spellings, such as "Pegge," "Pege," and "Pegg," reflecting the variations in pronunciation and spelling common during that era. The Hundred Rolls of 1273 contain a reference to a William Pegge in Staffordshire, indicating the name's spread to neighboring counties.
During the 14th century, the surname "PEGG" gained prominence in Derbyshire, with several notable individuals bearing the name. One such person was Sir John Pegg (c. 1330-1399), a knight and landowner who served as Sheriff of Derbyshire in 1386. Another prominent figure was Richard Pegg (c. 1350-1415), a wealthy merchant and alderman in the city of Derby.
By the 15th century, the surname had become well-established in various parts of England, with records showing individuals named Pegg residing in counties like Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire, and Yorkshire. One notable bearer of the name was Thomas Pegg (c. 1440-1519), a wealthy landowner and benefactor who contributed to the construction of churches and educational institutions in Derbyshire.
Over the centuries, the surname "PEGG" has been associated with several notable individuals, including:
1. Samuel Pegg (1639-1703), an English Puritan minister and author.
2. William Pegg (1775-1853), an English engraver and illustrator known for his work on natural history publications.
3. John Pegg (1832-1898), a British mathematician and educator who served as the Headmaster of Christ's Hospital school.
4. Ernest Pegg (1885-1957), an English cricketer who played for Derbyshire County Cricket Club.
5. Mark Pegg (born 1970), a British musician and songwriter, best known as the bassist for the rock band Janus Stark.
While the origins of the surname "PEGG" can be traced back to medieval England, its presence has spread globally due to migration and immigration over the centuries. However, the historical records and notable individuals mentioned above provide insights into the rich heritage and significance of this surname in English history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pegg
Among Census respondents with the surname Pegg, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Pegg 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 Pegg surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.1% · 2,302
- Hispanic or Latino3.9% · 101
- Two or more races3.6% · 92
- Black or African American2.0% · 52
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 24
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 14
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pegg
Pegg 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
#11,648
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,691
-252 bearers (-8.6%)
Per 100,000 0.91
Rank movement Down 1,551 places
2020
#11,619
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,585
-106 bearers (-3.9%)
Per 100,000 0.86
Rank movement Up 29 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,097 | 2,943 | 1.09 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,648 | 2,691 | 0.91 | -252 bearers (-8.6%) | Down 1,551 places |
| 2020 | #11,619 | 2,585 | 0.86 | -106 bearers (-3.9%) | Up 29 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 Pegg 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 | #11,648 | #11,619 | 0.2% |
| Count | 2,691 | 2,585 | -3.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.91 | 0.86 | -5.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pegg bearers went from 2,691 to 2,585 (-3.9% change). The surname moved up 29 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,648 to #11,619.
FAQ
Pegg surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pegg?
Name Census estimates that about 2,964 living Americans carry the surname Pegg. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 115,639 residents.
How common is Pegg?
Pegg ranks #11,619 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.86 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 2,585 people with the surname Pegg. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,964), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.86 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.86 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 Pegg.
Has Pegg become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pegg went from 2,691 recorded bearers to 2,585. That is a decrease of 106 (-3.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #11,648 to #11,619.
What does the Census say about the background of Pegg?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pegg, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (3.6%). 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 Pegg in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.1% (2,302 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pegg appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.1%), Hispanic (3.9%), Two or More Races (3.6%). 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 Pegg (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 Pegg mean?
An English occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of pegs or nails. 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 Pegg (0.86 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 Pegg?
If you just want to know how many people have the surname Pegg, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.