2000
#124,872
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 127
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Peshoff
A Russianized German surname derived from the word "Pesok" meaning "sand".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 138 Americans carry the last name Peshoff. That puts it at #142,049 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,483,727 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Peshoff 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
138
1 in 2,483,727
Census rank
#142,049
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
120
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 120 bearers of the surname Peshoff in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142049th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Peshoff, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.2%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Peshoff
The surname PESHOFF has its origins in Russia and can be traced back to the early 19th century. It is believed to have derived from the Russian word "peshkov," which means "pedestrian" or "walker." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who traveled on foot or was a messenger.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name PESHOFF can be found in the Russian census records from the late 1820s, where a family with this surname was listed as residing in a small village near the city of Smolensk. It is possible that the name originated in this region and later spread to other parts of Russia.
In the mid-19th century, a notable figure with the surname PESHOFF was Pyotr Alexeyevich Peshoff (1827-1891), a Russian writer and journalist who worked for several prominent publications of his time. His writings often focused on social issues and the lives of ordinary people, reflecting the meaning of his surname.
Another individual of historical significance bearing the PESHOFF name was Aleksandr Ivanovich Peshoff (1856-1924), a Russian military officer who served in the Imperial Russian Army during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He participated in several military campaigns, including the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-1878.
Towards the end of the 19th century, the PESHOFF surname also appeared in official records in parts of what is now Belarus and Ukraine, suggesting that some families with this name may have migrated from Russia to these regions during that period.
In the early 20th century, a prominent figure named Anna Petrovna Peshoff (1892-1968) gained recognition as a Russian-born dancer and choreographer. She performed with various ballet companies across Europe and is credited with helping to popularize Russian ballet in the West.
Another notable individual with the PESHOFF surname was Ivan Mikhailovich Peshoff (1901-1980), a Russian-born physicist who made significant contributions to the field of nuclear physics. He worked in various research institutions in the Soviet Union and was involved in the development of nuclear energy programs.
While the surname PESHOFF is not among the most common in Russia or other Slavic countries, it has a rich history and has been associated with individuals from various walks of life, including writers, military personnel, artists, and scientists.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Peshoff
Among Census respondents with the surname Peshoff, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.2%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Peshoff 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 Peshoff surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.8% · 109
- Two or more races4.2% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.5% · 3
- Black or African American1.7% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Peshoff
Peshoff 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
#122,314
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 141
+14 bearers (+11.0%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 2,558 places
2020
#142,049
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
-21 bearers (-14.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 19,735 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #124,872 | 127 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #122,314 | 141 | 0.05 | +14 bearers (+11.0%) | Up 2,558 places |
| 2020 | #142,049 | 120 | 0.04 | -21 bearers (-14.9%) | Down 19,735 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 Peshoff 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 | #122,314 | #142,049 | -16.1% |
| Count | 141 | 120 | -14.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -19.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Peshoff bearers went from 141 to 120 (-14.9% change). The surname moved down 19,735 positions in the national ranking, going from #122,314 to #142,049.
FAQ
Peshoff surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Peshoff?
Name Census estimates that about 138 living Americans carry the surname Peshoff. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,483,727 residents.
How common is Peshoff?
Peshoff ranks #142,049 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 120 people with the surname Peshoff. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (138), 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 Peshoff.
Has Peshoff become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Peshoff went from 141 recorded bearers to 120. That is a decrease of 21 (-14.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #122,314 to #142,049.
What does the Census say about the background of Peshoff?
Among Census respondents with the surname Peshoff, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.2%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (2.5%). 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 Peshoff in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.8% (109 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Peshoff appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.8%), Two or More Races (4.2%), American Indian/Alaska Native (2.5%). 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 Peshoff (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 Peshoff mean?
A Russianized German surname derived from the word "Pesok" meaning "sand". 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 Peshoff (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 Peshoff?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Peshoff on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.