NameCensus.

UK surname

Peace

A surname derived from a nickname for a quiet or gentle person, or an ironic nickname for a quarrelsome person.

In the 1881 census there were 2,729 people recorded with the Peace surname, ranking it #1,634 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 3,238, ranked #2,100, down from #1,634 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Kirkwall and St.Ola, Batley and Penistone (Denby), Kirkburton (Cumberworth Half). In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Kirklees, Isles and West Kirkwall.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Peace is 3,317 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 18.7%.

1881 census count

2,729

Ranked #1,634

Modern count

3,238

2016, ranked #2,100

Peak year

1999

3,317 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Peace had 2,729 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,634 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 3,238 in 2016, ranked #2,100.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 3,204 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Peace surname distribution map

The map shows where the Peace surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Peace surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Peace over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 1,951 #1,488
1861 historical 2,034 #1,423
1881 historical 2,729 #1,634
1891 historical 2,979 #1,581
1901 historical 3,204 #1,749
1911 historical 3,171 #1,644
1997 modern 3,177 #2,024
1998 modern 3,300 #2,027
1999 modern 3,317 #2,042
2000 modern 3,238 #2,074
2001 modern 3,178 #2,071
2002 modern 3,254 #2,067
2003 modern 3,121 #2,103
2004 modern 3,162 #2,074
2005 modern 3,124 #2,069
2006 modern 3,149 #2,066
2007 modern 3,170 #2,070
2008 modern 3,158 #2,089
2009 modern 3,248 #2,089
2010 modern 3,300 #2,102
2011 modern 3,263 #2,096
2012 modern 3,232 #2,086
2013 modern 3,273 #2,098
2014 modern 3,268 #2,111
2015 modern 3,234 #2,115
2016 modern 3,238 #2,100

Geography

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Where Peaces are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Kirkwall and St.Ola, Batley, Penistone (Denby), Kirkburton (Cumberworth Half), Cross and Burness and Sheffield. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Kirklees, Isles, West Kirkwall, Barnsley and East Mainland. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Kirkwall and St.Ola Orkney
2 Batley Yorkshire, West Riding
3 Penistone (Denby), Kirkburton (Cumberworth Half) Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Cross and Burness Orkney
5 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Kirklees 057 Kirklees
2 Isles Orkney Islands
3 West Kirkwall Orkney Islands
4 Barnsley 024 Barnsley
5 East Mainland Orkney Islands

Forenames

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First names often paired with Peace

These lists show first names that appear often with the Peace surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Peace

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Peace, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Peace surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Peace household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Peace is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Peace is most concentrated in decile 8 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Peace falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Peace is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Peace, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Peace

The surname PEACE is an English toponymic name derived from the Old English "peas", meaning a hill or lake. It likely originated in areas of England where there were prominent hills or lakes, such as the counties of Kent, Sussex, and Norfolk. The earliest recorded spellings of the name date back to the 12th century, appearing in the Domesday Book as "Peas" and "Peise".

In the 13th century, a John de Pese was recorded in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1230. The name was also found in the Hundred Rolls of Norfolk in 1275, with a reference to a John Pece. These early records suggest the name was well-established in various parts of England by the medieval period.

One of the earliest notable individuals with the surname was William Peace, a 14th-century English landowner and Member of Parliament for Gloucestershire. He was born around 1320 and served in Parliament from 1365 to 1372.

In the 16th century, the surname appeared with various spellings, including Pease, Peece, and Pees. John Pease, a successful merchant and alderman of Hull, was born in 1522 and made significant contributions to the city's trade and governance.

The 17th century saw the emergence of notable figures like Edward Peace (1618-1676), an English Puritan minister and author. He was a prominent preacher and published several religious works during his lifetime.

In the 18th century, the name was associated with the Peace family of Hunsdon, Hertfordshire, who were prominent landowners and patrons of the arts. The most famous member was Sir Walter Peace (1712-1792), a renowned art collector and connoisseur.

Moving into the 19th century, Edward Peace (1801-1869) was a successful industrialist and philanthropist from Darlington, England. He established the Darlington Railway Works and was instrumental in the development of the town's infrastructure.

Throughout its history, the surname PEACE has been found in various spellings, including Pease, Peice, and Pece, reflecting the evolution of English language and regional variations. Despite its widespread presence across England, the name retains its connection to the Old English word "peas" and its topographical origins.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Peace families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Peace surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Yorkshire leads with 1,275 Peaces recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.86x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 1,275 4.86x
Orkney 250 85.80x
Staffordshire 218 2.44x
Warwickshire 138 2.07x
Lancashire 125 0.40x
Middlesex 116 0.44x
Leicestershire 98 3.34x
Derbyshire 88 2.12x
Surrey 45 0.35x
Durham 42 0.53x
Midlothian 39 1.10x
Essex 38 0.73x
Hampshire 26 0.48x
Kent 25 0.28x
Nottinghamshire 22 0.62x
Lanarkshire 18 0.21x
Norfolk 15 0.37x
Northamptonshire 12 0.48x
Worcestershire 12 0.35x
Buckinghamshire 10 0.62x
Cheshire 9 0.15x
Somerset 9 0.21x
West Lothian 9 2.26x
Lincolnshire 8 0.19x
Northumberland 8 0.20x
Kincardineshire 7 2.17x
Bedfordshire 5 0.36x
Hertfordshire 5 0.27x
Renfrewshire 5 0.24x
Suffolk 5 0.16x
Glamorgan 4 0.09x
Gloucestershire 3 0.06x
Huntingdonshire 3 0.57x
Morayshire 3 0.73x
Devon 2 0.04x
Inverness-shire 2 0.25x
Shropshire 2 0.09x
Sussex 2 0.04x
Wiltshire 2 0.09x
Banffshire 1 0.18x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.09x
Clackmannanshire 1 0.46x
Cornwall 1 0.03x
Cumberland 1 0.04x
Dunbartonshire 1 0.14x
Monmouthshire 1 0.05x
Oxfordshire 1 0.06x
Perthshire 1 0.08x
Selkirkshire 1 0.42x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Birmingham in Warwickshire leads with 87 Peaces recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.91x.

Place Total Index
Birmingham 87 3.91x
Cumberworth 83 621.26x
Stronsay Eday 81 424.97x
Ossett Cum Gawthorpe 63 67.20x
Kirkwall St Ola 59 135.20x
Ecclesall Bierlow 58 10.87x
Mirfield 57 39.56x
Sheffield 56 6.70x
Nether Hallam 52 14.65x
Cross Burness N 51 335.31x
Dewsbury 43 15.98x
Thornhill 42 54.84x
Barwell 40 257.57x
Batley 40 16.04x
Walsall Foreign 39 8.45x
Shepley 37 255.70x
Wolverhampton 34 4.95x
Lady 33 382.39x
Shelley 33 214.98x
Stapenhill 33 53.47x
Denby 32 225.99x
Penistone 32 156.40x
Wortley In Bramley 32 15.40x
Kirkheaton 29 68.14x
Alverthorpe Cum Thornes 28 29.38x
Brightside Bierlow 27 5.25x
Wednesbury 27 12.08x
Bishopwearmouth 26 3.84x
Bradfield 24 23.72x
Lofthouse Cum Carlton 23 71.92x
Leeds 22 1.48x
Soothill 21 22.15x
Huddersfield 20 5.23x
Barony 18 0.83x
Aston 17 0.92x
Almondbury 16 12.61x
Fulstone 16 83.33x
Cudworth 15 158.56x
Firth Stenness 15 120.10x
Hackney London 15 1.01x
Harborne 15 5.24x
Horbury 15 32.67x
Islington London 15 0.58x
South Leith 15 3.76x
Thorne 15 46.07x
Ashton Under Lyne 14 2.04x
Battersea 14 1.44x
Bradford 14 2.20x
Lockwood 14 14.83x
Rotherham 14 9.46x
Great Bolton 13 3.12x
Hugglescote 13 30.09x
Leicester St Margaret 13 1.82x
Rawmarsh 13 14.02x
Aston Cantlow 12 120.12x
Church Gresley 12 18.19x
Ecclesfield 12 6.24x
St Marylebone London 12 0.85x
Stoke Upon Trent 12 1.27x
Toxteth Park 12 1.13x
Blackfordby 11 117.40x
Hulme 11 1.68x
Hunshelf 11 85.54x
Hunslet 11 2.69x
Shitlington 11 40.52x
Burton Upon Trent 10 4.78x
Eccleston In Prescot 10 6.34x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 10 0.70x
Glossop Dale 10 5.15x
Heanor 10 16.13x
Nottingham St Mary 10 1.08x
Warley Salop 10 201.21x
West Bromwich 10 1.95x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 9 3.68x
Castleford 9 9.42x
Handsworth 9 4.08x
Kensington London 9 0.61x
Oldham 9 0.89x
Upperthong 9 40.32x
Waltham Holy Cross 9 18.42x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Peace surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 184
Sarah 90
Elizabeth 77
Ann 66
Emma 56
Annie 41
Hannah 39
Martha 38
Alice 34
Eliza 30
Jane 26
Emily 25
Ellen 24
Ada 20
Edith 18
Harriet 18
Caroline 15
Florence 14
Louisa 14
Clara 13
Lucy 12
Maria 12
Fanny 11
Frances 11
Kate 10
Margaret 10
Catherine 8
Esther 8
Rebecca 8
Selina 8
Amelia 7
Anne 7
Charlotte 7
Laura 7
Rose 7
Agnes 6
Mabel 6
Rachel 6
Ethel 5
Gertrude 5
Harriett 5
Matilda 5
Susannah 5
Amy 4
Bertha 4
Francis 4
Helena 4
Lizzie 4
Lydia 4
Margret 4

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Peace surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
William 126
John 106
George 82
Thomas 69
James 61
Joseph 59
Charles 45
Henry 38
Walter 30
Samuel 25
Arthur 23
Albert 21
Alfred 19
Harry 19
Edwin 15
Ernest 15
Edward 14
Frederick 14
Robert 14
Tom 13
David 12
Frank 11
Herbert 11
Fred 10
Joe 9
Joshua 7
Aaron 6
Francis 6
Geo. 6
Alexander 5
Benjamin 5
Levi 5
Lister 5
Uriah 5
Wilson 5
Eli 4
Jonathan 4
Willie 4
Ben 3
Christopher 3
Fredrick 3
Giles 3
Harold 3
Jas. 3
Jno. 3
Job 3
Matthew 3
Reuben 3
Richard 3
Seth 3

FAQ

Peace surname: questions and answers

How common was the Peace surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,729 people were recorded with the Peace surname. That placed it at #1,634 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Peace surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 3,238 in 2016. That gives Peace a modern rank of #2,100.

What does the Peace surname mean?

A surname derived from a nickname for a quiet or gentle person, or an ironic nickname for a quarrelsome person.

What does the Peace map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Peace bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.