2000
#5,564
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,733
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.13
Rare Last name
Peeler
An occupational surname referring to someone who removes the skin or peel from fruit or vegetables.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,235 Americans carry the last name Peeler. That puts it at #6,069 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.82 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 54,973 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Peeler 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
6.2K
1 in 54,973
Census rank
#6,069
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,437 bearers of the surname Peeler in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.82 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6069th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Peeler, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.4%. The next largest groups are Black (15.7%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Peeler
The surname Peeler originated in England during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old English word "pilur," which means "stripper" or "peeler." This refers to someone who worked in the textile industry, stripping or peeling the outer layers of flax or hemp to prepare the fibers for spinning.
The name can be traced back to the 13th century, with early records showing variations such as Peler, Pelour, and Pilour. One of the earliest known references to the name is found in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, which mentions a William le Pelour.
In the 14th century, the surname began to appear in various parts of England, particularly in the counties of Yorkshire, Lancashire, and Cheshire, where the textile industry was thriving. The Peeler family was well-established in these regions, with several members recorded in local records and tax rolls.
One notable historical figure bearing the name Peeler was Robert Peeler, a successful merchant and alderman in the city of York during the late 15th century. He was a prominent figure in the city's guild system and served as the Lord Mayor of York in 1485.
Another early recorded example of the name is found in the Subsidy Rolls of Cheshire from 1545, which lists a John Peeler as a taxpayer in the village of Nantwich.
In the 17th century, the surname Peeler gained national recognition when Sir Robert Peeler (1588-1677) became a distinguished lawyer and judge. He served as the Lord Chief Justice of Ireland from 1663 to 1677 and was knighted for his service.
One of the most famous individuals with the surname Peeler was Sir Robert Peel (1788-1850), the British Prime Minister and founder of the modern police force. The term "peeler" became a slang term for a police officer, derived from his role in establishing the Metropolitan Police Service in London in 1829.
Other notable Peelers throughout history include:
1. William Peeler (c. 1540-1607), an English theologian and Dean of Worcester Cathedral.
2. John Peeler (1725-1798), a Revolutionary War soldier and early settler in Tennessee.
3. Mary Peeler (1853-1929), an American educator and advocate for women's rights.
4. Charles Peeler (1891-1958), an American baseball player who played for the Boston Red Sox.
5. John Peeler (born 1948), an American political scientist and author.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Peeler
Among Census respondents with the surname Peeler, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.4%. The next largest groups are Black (15.7%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Peeler 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 Peeler surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White77.4% · 4,206
- Black or African American15.7% · 853
- Two or more races3.6% · 198
- Hispanic or Latino2.2% · 122
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 30
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 28
Timeline
Historical Census data for Peeler
Peeler 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
#5,901
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,848
+115 bearers (+2.0%)
Per 100,000 1.98
Rank movement Down 337 places
2020
#6,069
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,437
-411 bearers (-7.0%)
Per 100,000 1.82
Rank movement Down 168 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,564 | 5,733 | 2.13 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,901 | 5,848 | 1.98 | +115 bearers (+2.0%) | Down 337 places |
| 2020 | #6,069 | 5,437 | 1.82 | -411 bearers (-7.0%) | Down 168 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 Peeler 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 | #5,901 | #6,069 | -2.8% |
| Count | 5,848 | 5,437 | -7.0% |
| Per 100K | 1.98 | 1.82 | -8.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Peeler bearers went from 5,848 to 5,437 (-7.0% change). The surname moved down 168 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,901 to #6,069.
FAQ
Peeler surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Peeler?
Name Census estimates that about 6,235 living Americans carry the surname Peeler. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 54,973 residents.
How common is Peeler?
Peeler ranks #6,069 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.82 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 5,437 people with the surname Peeler. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,235), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.82 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.82 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 Peeler.
Has Peeler become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Peeler went from 5,848 recorded bearers to 5,437. That is a decrease of 411 (-7.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #5,901 to #6,069.
What does the Census say about the background of Peeler?
Among Census respondents with the surname Peeler, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.4%. The next largest groups are Black (15.7%) and Two or More Races (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 Peeler in the 2020 Census, accounting for 77.4% (4,206 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Peeler appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (77.4%), Black (15.7%), Two or More Races (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 Peeler (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 Peeler mean?
An occupational surname referring to someone who removes the skin or peel from fruit or vegetables. 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 Peeler (1.82 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 Peeler?
Want to know how many people have the last name Peeler? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.