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

Peregrine, 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 Peregrine surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Peregrine in America

Peregrine is the 74826th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Peregrine surname appeared 258 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Peregrine.

We can also compare 2010 data for Peregrine 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 Peregrine

The surname Peregrine has its origins in the Latin word 'peregrinus', meaning 'foreigner' or 'traveler'. It is believed to have originated in France during the Middle Ages, where it was likely given as a descriptive name to someone who had traveled or lived abroad.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Peregrine can be found in the Domesday Book, a manuscript record of landholdings and estates in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. This suggests that the name had already made its way across the English Channel by the 11th century.

In medieval times, the name Peregrine was often associated with those who had undertaken pilgrimages or participated in the Crusades. It was a name that conveyed a sense of adventure and exploration, reflecting the spirit of the times.

The earliest known bearer of the surname Peregrine was Sir Roger Peregrine, a Norman knight who fought alongside William the Conqueror during the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. Another notable figure was Peregrine Bertie, 13th Baron Willoughby de Eresby (1555-1601), an English nobleman and soldier who served under Queen Elizabeth I.

In the literary realm, the name Peregrine is perhaps most famously associated with the character of Peregrine Pickle, the protagonist of Tobias Smollett's 1751 novel of the same name. The novel's satirical portrayal of 18th-century society and its adventurous protagonist helped to solidify the name's association with wanderlust and daring exploits.

Other notable individuals bearing the surname Peregrine include Sir Thomas Peregrine Courtenay (1782-1841), a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars, and Peregrine Worsthorne (1923-2022), an English journalist and commentator who wrote for The Sunday Telegraph.

Throughout its history, the surname Peregrine has maintained its connection to travel, exploration, and a sense of adventure, reflecting the wandering spirit of those who bore it.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Peregrine

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

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 Peregrine 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 Peregrine 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 Peregrine was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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