2000
#796
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 39,432
First available Census row
Per 100,000 14.62
Uncommon Last name
Peck
An occupational surname referring to someone who gathered wool or worked as a seller of cloth.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 43,620 Americans carry the last name Peck. That puts it at #904 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 12.73 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 7,858 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Peck 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 Peck with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
44K
1 in 7,858
Census rank
#904
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
12.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
38K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 38,039 bearers of the surname Peck in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 12.73 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 904th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Peck, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.7%) and Hispanic (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Peck
The surname Peck is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "pic," meaning a woodpecker or a small bird. It is believed to have originated as a nickname for someone who had a small, pointed nose resembling a bird's beak or for someone with a habit of pecking or picking at things.
The earliest known recorded instance of the surname Peck dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it was listed as "Pec." This ancient record, commissioned by William the Conqueror, provides valuable insights into the distribution of surnames across England during the 11th century.
In the 13th century, the surname Peck was found in various forms, including Peke, Pek, and Pecke, which suggests its widespread use across different regions of England. Some of the earliest recorded bearers of the name include Robert Peke, mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1230, and William Pek, listed in the Hundredorum Rolls of Norfolk in 1275.
The name Peck has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One of the earliest was Sir John Peck (1520-1592), a prominent English merchant and Lord Mayor of London in 1591. Another remarkable figure was William Peck (1640-1718), an English Puritan missionary who played a significant role in the establishment of the first Baptist church in Boston, Massachusetts.
In the 18th century, Peck became a well-known name in the literary world with the English poet and satirist Robert Peck (1679-1738), known for his biting satires on contemporary society. Another notable bearer of the name was the American naturalist and author John Muir Peck (1789-1858), whose works on the natural history of New England gained widespread recognition.
The 19th century saw the rise of several prominent individuals with the surname Peck, including George Wilbur Peck (1840-1916), an American author and humorist best known for his witty writings and humorous lectures. Additionally, Ferdinand Peck (1858-1924), an American lawyer and jurist, served as a judge on the Supreme Court of Missouri.
Throughout history, the surname Peck has been traced to various place names and locations across England, such as Peckham in London, Peckleton in Leicestershire, and Peckforton in Cheshire. These place names are believed to have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname over time.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Peck
Among Census respondents with the surname Peck, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.7%) and Hispanic (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Peck 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 Peck surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.7% · 33,376
- Two or more races3.7% · 1,398
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 1,385
- Black or African American3.6% · 1,361
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 344
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 175
Timeline
Historical Census data for Peck
Peck 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
#864
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 40,055
+623 bearers (+1.6%)
Per 100,000 13.58
Rank movement Down 68 places
2020
#904
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 38,039
-2,016 bearers (-5.0%)
Per 100,000 12.73
Rank movement Down 40 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #796 | 39,432 | 14.62 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #864 | 40,055 | 13.58 | +623 bearers (+1.6%) | Down 68 places |
| 2020 | #904 | 38,039 | 12.73 | -2,016 bearers (-5.0%) | Down 40 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 Peck 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 | #864 | #904 | -4.6% |
| Count | 40,055 | 38,039 | -5.0% |
| Per 100K | 13.58 | 12.73 | -6.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Peck bearers went from 40,055 to 38,039 (-5.0% change). The surname moved down 40 positions in the national ranking, going from #864 to #904.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Peck
FAQ
Peck surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Peck?
Name Census estimates that about 43,620 living Americans carry the surname Peck. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 7,858 residents.
How common is Peck?
Peck ranks #904 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 12.73 per 100,000 residents, which is about 13 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 38,039 people with the surname Peck. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (43,620), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 12.73 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 12.73 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 13 of them to have the surname Peck.
Has Peck become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Peck went from 40,055 recorded bearers to 38,039. That is a decrease of 2,016 (-5.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #864 to #904.
What does the Census say about the background of Peck?
Among Census respondents with the surname Peck, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.7%) and Hispanic (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 Peck in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.7% (33,376 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Peck appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.7%), Two or More Races (3.7%), Hispanic (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 Peck (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 Peck mean?
An occupational surname referring to someone who gathered wool or worked as a seller of cloth. 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 Peck (12.73 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 Peck?
For a quick modern take, check how common the surname Peck is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.