2000
#4,880
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,603
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.45
Rare Last name
Peel
An English toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "hill" or "peak" in Old English.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 7,131 Americans carry the last name Peel. That puts it at #5,414 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.08 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 48,065 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Peel 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 Peel with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
7.1K
1 in 48,065
Census rank
#5,414
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,219 bearers of the surname Peel in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.08 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5414th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Peel, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.1%. The next largest groups are Black (8.4%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Peel
The surname Peel originated from the Anglo-Saxon regions of Britain, specifically in areas that were part of the former Kingdom of Northumbria. It likely derives from the Old English word 'peel', which referred to a small area of land or an isolated hill.
The name Peel can be traced back to the 11th century, with records indicating its presence in the Domesday Book of 1086. This comprehensive survey, commissioned by William the Conqueror, documented landowners and tenants throughout England.
In the 13th century, the name appears in various forms, such as Peile, Peyle, and Pele. These variations may have been influenced by local dialects and spelling conventions of the time.
Several notable individuals have borne the surname Peel throughout history. One of the earliest recorded instances is Sir Robert Peel (1599-1668), a notable English landowner and parliamentarian during the English Civil War.
Another prominent figure was Sir Robert Peel (1788-1850), a British statesman who served twice as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. He is credited with establishing the modern police force, known as "Bobbies" or "Peelers" in his honor.
Other notable individuals include John Peel (1939-2004), a highly influential British radio DJ and broadcaster, and Walter Peel (1888-1945), a Canadian politician and Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan.
The surname Peel has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Peel on the Isle of Man, Peel in Lancashire, and Peel Forest in Staffordshire.
It is worth noting that the surname Peel has been documented in various historical records, including parish registers, tax rolls, and court proceedings, providing insights into its evolution and geographical distribution over time.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Peel
Among Census respondents with the surname Peel, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.1%. The next largest groups are Black (8.4%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Peel 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 Peel surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White83.1% · 5,170
- Black or African American8.4% · 525
- Two or more races4.1% · 257
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 201
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 33
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 33
Timeline
Historical Census data for Peel
Peel 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
#5,247
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,647
+44 bearers (+0.7%)
Per 100,000 2.25
Rank movement Down 367 places
2020
#5,414
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,219
-428 bearers (-6.4%)
Per 100,000 2.08
Rank movement Down 167 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,880 | 6,603 | 2.45 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,247 | 6,647 | 2.25 | +44 bearers (+0.7%) | Down 367 places |
| 2020 | #5,414 | 6,219 | 2.08 | -428 bearers (-6.4%) | Down 167 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 Peel 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 | #5,247 | #5,414 | -3.2% |
| Count | 6,647 | 6,219 | -6.4% |
| Per 100K | 2.25 | 2.08 | -7.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Peel bearers went from 6,647 to 6,219 (-6.4% change). The surname moved down 167 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,247 to #5,414.
FAQ
Peel surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Peel?
Name Census estimates that about 7,131 living Americans carry the surname Peel. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 48,065 residents.
How common is Peel?
Peel ranks #5,414 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.08 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 6,219 people with the surname Peel. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (7,131), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.08 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.08 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Peel.
Has Peel become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Peel went from 6,647 recorded bearers to 6,219. That is a decrease of 428 (-6.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #5,247 to #5,414.
What does the Census say about the background of Peel?
Among Census respondents with the surname Peel, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.1%. The next largest groups are Black (8.4%) and Two or More Races (4.1%). 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 Peel in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.1% (5,170 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Peel appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (83.1%), Black (8.4%), Two or More Races (4.1%). 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 Peel (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 Peel mean?
An English toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "hill" or "peak" in Old English. 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 Peel (2.08 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 share the surname Peel?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.