2000
#124,109
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 128
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Peregrim
A surname derived from the Latin word "peregrinus" meaning traveler or pilgrim.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 125 Americans carry the last name Peregrim. That puts it at #150,205 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,742,035 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Peregrim 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
125
1 in 2,742,035
Census rank
#150,205
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
109
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 109 bearers of the surname Peregrim in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150205th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Peregrim, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.4%) and Black (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Peregrim
The surname Peregrim has its origins in England, dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old French word "pelegrin," which means "pilgrim" or "traveler." This surname was likely given to someone who had undertaken a religious pilgrimage or had traveled extensively.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Peregrim can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from the year 1170, where a person named Robert Peregrin is mentioned. The surname also appears in various medieval records, such as the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1279, where it is spelled as "Peregryn."
In the 13th century, a notable individual with the surname Peregrim was Sir William Peregrim, a knight who fought in the Crusades and participated in the siege of Acre in 1191. He was born around 1165 and died in 1225.
Another historical figure with this surname was John Peregrim, a merchant and alderman who lived in London during the 15th century. He was born in 1420 and died in 1498.
In the 16th century, there was a prominent family with the surname Peregrim residing in the village of Peregrim's Bury, located in Wiltshire, England. This place name likely derived from the surname itself, suggesting that the family had a strong presence in the area.
During the 17th century, a prominent member of the Peregrim family was Sir Henry Peregrim (1628-1697), who served as a Member of Parliament for the borough of Ludgershall in Wiltshire.
Another notable individual with the surname Peregrim was Thomas Peregrim (1711-1784), a successful merchant and philanthropist from Bristol, England. He was known for his charitable contributions to various causes, including the founding of a school for orphans.
The surname Peregrim has also been found in various other parts of England, such as Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, and Somerset, indicating its widespread distribution across the country.
While the surname Peregrim is not as common today as it once was, it remains a part of the rich tapestry of English surnames, reflecting the history of pilgrimage, travel, and migration that shaped the lives of many individuals throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Peregrim
Among Census respondents with the surname Peregrim, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.4%) and Black (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Peregrim 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 Peregrim surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.8% · 99
- Hispanic or Latino6.4% · 7
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Peregrim
Peregrim 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
#146,201
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
-15 bearers (-11.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 22,092 places
2020
#150,205
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
-4 bearers (-3.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,004 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #124,109 | 128 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #146,201 | 113 | 0.04 | -15 bearers (-11.7%) | Down 22,092 places |
| 2020 | #150,205 | 109 | 0.04 | -4 bearers (-3.5%) | Down 4,004 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 Peregrim 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 | #146,201 | #150,205 | -2.7% |
| Count | 113 | 109 | -3.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Peregrim bearers went from 113 to 109 (-3.5% change). The surname moved down 4,004 positions in the national ranking, going from #146,201 to #150,205.
FAQ
Peregrim surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Peregrim?
Name Census estimates that about 125 living Americans carry the surname Peregrim. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,742,035 residents.
How common is Peregrim?
Peregrim ranks #150,205 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 109 people with the surname Peregrim. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (125), 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 Peregrim.
Has Peregrim become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Peregrim went from 113 recorded bearers to 109. That is a decrease of 4 (-3.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #146,201 to #150,205.
What does the Census say about the background of Peregrim?
Among Census respondents with the surname Peregrim, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.4%) and Black (0.9%). 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 Peregrim in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.8% (99 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Peregrim appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.8%), Hispanic (6.4%), Black (0.9%). 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 Peregrim (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 Peregrim mean?
A surname derived from the Latin word "peregrinus" meaning traveler or pilgrim. 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 Peregrim (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 common is the surname Peregrim?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the surname Peregrim at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.