2000
#147,095
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Peskey
A locational surname derived from a place name, possibly from Penkridge in Staffordshire, England.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 116 Americans carry the last name Peskey. That puts it at #155,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,954,779 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Peskey 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
116
1 in 2,954,779
Census rank
#155,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
101
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 101 bearers of the surname Peskey in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 155270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Peskey, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.0%) and Black (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Peskey
The surname Peskey has its origins in England, with records dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "pysc," which referred to a small fishing enclosure or fish trap. This suggests that the name was likely initially given as an occupational surname to someone who worked as a fisherman or operated a fish trap.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Peskey can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1279, where a William Piscator is mentioned. "Piscator" is the Latin word for "fisherman," further reinforcing the connection between the name and the fishing trade.
In the 14th century, the name appeared in various spellings, such as Pyskey, Pyskie, and Peskye, reflecting the evolving nature of English spelling and pronunciation during that period. These variations likely stemmed from regional dialects and the interpretation of the scribes who recorded the names.
A notable early bearer of the name was John Peskey, a merchant from Bristol who was mentioned in the city's records in 1403. Bristol's proximity to the River Avon and its thriving port may have contributed to the prevalence of the name in that area.
During the 16th century, the surname Peskey can be found in several parish records across different counties in England, including Suffolk, Norfolk, and Lincolnshire. These records often provide insights into the occupations and locations of individuals bearing the name.
One interesting reference comes from the Chancery Proceedings of 1558, which mentions a dispute between Robert Peskey and Thomas Peskey over a tenement in the village of Terrington, Norfolk. This suggests that the name was present in that region during the Tudor period.
Moving into the 17th century, we find examples of the name in various historical documents, such as the Proceedings of the Old Bailey, where a William Peskey was mentioned in 1678 for a minor offense.
In the 18th century, the surname Peskey appeared in places like the parish records of St. Mary's Church in Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, where the baptism of John Peskey was recorded in 1732.
As for notable individuals with the surname Peskey, one person of interest is Henry Peskey, a merchant from London who was born in 1765 and was involved in trade with the West Indies. Another is Robert Peskey, a farmer from Lincolnshire who lived from 1790 to 1862 and is mentioned in land records from that county.
Overall, the surname Peskey has a rich history rooted in England's fishing and maritime traditions, with various spellings and references scattered across different regions and time periods.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Peskey
Among Census respondents with the surname Peskey, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.0%) and Black (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Peskey 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 Peskey surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White97.0% · 98
- Two or more races2.0% · 2
- Black or African American1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Peskey
Peskey 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
#157,234
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 10,139 places
2020
#155,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
-2 bearers (-1.9%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 1,964 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #147,095 | 103 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #157,234 | 103 | 0.03 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 10,139 places |
| 2020 | #155,270 | 101 | 0.03 | -2 bearers (-1.9%) | Up 1,964 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 Peskey 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 | #157,234 | #155,270 | 1.2% |
| Count | 103 | 101 | -1.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.03 | 12.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Peskey bearers went from 103 to 101 (-1.9% change). The surname moved up 1,964 positions in the national ranking, going from #157,234 to #155,270.
FAQ
Peskey surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Peskey?
Name Census estimates that about 116 living Americans carry the surname Peskey. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,954,779 residents.
How common is Peskey?
Peskey ranks #155,270 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 101 people with the surname Peskey. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (116), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Peskey.
Has Peskey become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Peskey went from 103 recorded bearers to 101. That is a decrease of 2 (-1.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #157,234 to #155,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Peskey?
Among Census respondents with the surname Peskey, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.0%) and Black (1.0%). 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 Peskey in the 2020 Census, accounting for 97.0% (98 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Peskey appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (97.0%), Two or More Races (2.0%), Black (1.0%). 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 Peskey (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 Peskey mean?
A locational surname derived from a place name, possibly from Penkridge in Staffordshire, England. 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 Peskey (0.03 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 Peskey?
Find out how common the surname Peskey is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.