NameCensus.

UK surname

Peaks

An English surname derived from a place name referring to locations with pointed hills or mountains.

In the 1881 census there were 64 people recorded with the Peaks surname, ranking it #24,561 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 82, ranked #32,895, down from #24,561 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Pidley with Fenton, St Dunstan Stepney and Northampton St Giles, Northampton St Sepulchre, Northampton Priory. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Huntingdonshire, Hillingdon and East Devon.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Peaks is 174 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 28.1%.

1881 census count

64

Ranked #24,561

Modern count

82

2016, ranked #32,895

Peak year

1861

174 bearers

Map years

4

1861 to 1998

Key insights

  • Peaks had 64 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #24,561 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 82 in 2016, ranked #32,895.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 174 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Peaks surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Peaks surname density by area, 1998 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Peaks 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 31 #27,734
1861 historical 174 #13,483
1881 historical 64 #24,561
1891 historical 128 #20,393
1901 historical 95 #23,462
1911 historical 101 #22,589
1997 modern 111 #25,394
1998 modern 104 #26,981
1999 modern 115 #25,620
2000 modern 110 #26,248
2001 modern 110 #25,900
2002 modern 109 #26,552
2003 modern 99 #27,871
2004 modern 101 #27,813
2005 modern 90 #29,527
2006 modern 94 #29,264
2007 modern 98 #29,019
2008 modern 96 #29,654
2009 modern 100 #29,597
2010 modern 99 #30,397
2011 modern 93 #31,169
2012 modern 90 #31,790
2013 modern 88 #32,349
2014 modern 90 #32,309
2015 modern 88 #32,421
2016 modern 82 #32,895

Geography

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Where Peaks' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Pidley with Fenton, St Dunstan Stepney, Northampton St Giles, Northampton St Sepulchre, Northampton Priory, Beverley St Martin and St Nicholas and Peterborough St John the Baptist. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Huntingdonshire, Hillingdon, East Devon, Canterbury and Aylesbury Vale. 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 Pidley with Fenton Huntingdonshire
2 St Dunstan Stepney London (East Districts)
3 Northampton St Giles, Northampton St Sepulchre, Northampton Priory Northamptonshire
4 Beverley St Martin and St Nicholas Yorkshire, East Riding
5 Peterborough St John the Baptist Northamptonshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Huntingdonshire 006 Huntingdonshire
2 Hillingdon 017 Hillingdon
3 East Devon 020 East Devon
4 Canterbury 007 Canterbury
5 Aylesbury Vale 011 Aylesbury Vale

Forenames

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First names often paired with Peaks

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Peaks

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Peaks, 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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Young Families in Industrial Towns

Nationally, the Peaks surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Young Families in Industrial Towns, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Peaks household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods house predominantly young, UK-born individuals identifying with a White ethnic group with dependent children. Long-term disability and unpaid care are prevalent, and religious affiliations are uncommon. Housing is terraced or semi-detached and social rented sector housing is the norm. Unemployment is above the Supergroup average, and employment is principally in elementary occupations, as process plant and machine operatives, or in caring and leisure services. Educational attainment is low. The group is scattered throughout former industrial towns in the Midlands and the South Wales Valleys.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Peaks is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, 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

These neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

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

Peaks is most concentrated in decile 6 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Peaks falls in decile 8 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Peaks 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 Peaks, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Peaks

The surname PEAKS is of English origin, believed to have emerged in the 13th century. It is derived from the Old English word "peac," meaning a hill or mountain peak, suggesting that the name was initially given to someone who lived near or on a prominent hill or mountain.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the PEAKS surname can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire from 1273, where a person named Roger de la Pek is mentioned. The prefix "de la" in this entry suggests the name was originally a locational surname, referring to a specific place.

In the 14th century, the PEAKS surname appeared in various forms, such as Peek, Peke, and Peake, reflecting the varying spellings of the time. The Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327 include a reference to a Robert Peke, while the Poll Tax returns of Yorkshire from 1379 list a John Peek.

The PEAKS surname is also associated with several place names in England, such as Peak Hill in Derbyshire and Peak Forest in Staffordshire. These locations likely influenced the development and spread of the surname in different regions.

Notable individuals with the PEAKS surname throughout history include:

1. Sir Walter Peake (c. 1505-1572), an English soldier and politician who served as a Member of Parliament during the reign of Elizabeth I.

2. Robert Peake (c. 1551-1619), an English painter and engraver known for his portraits of Queen Elizabeth I and other courtiers.

3. James Peake (1585-1641), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Master of Magdalene College, Cambridge.

4. John Peake (1613-1671), an English politician and Member of Parliament during the English Civil War.

5. Robert Peake (1592-1667), an English politician and Member of Parliament known for his involvement in the trial of King Charles I.

The PEAKS surname has been present in various regions of England for centuries, with notable concentrations in counties like Derbyshire, Staffordshire, and Yorkshire, where it likely originated from the geographical features and place names associated with the name.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Peaks families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Peaks 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. Northamptonshire leads with 24 Peaks' recorded in 1881 and an index of 41.54x.

County Total Index
Northamptonshire 24 41.54x
Huntingdonshire 11 90.16x
Yorkshire 9 1.48x
Devon 3 2.35x
Nottinghamshire 3 3.62x
Buckinghamshire 2 5.39x
Cambridgeshire 2 5.14x
Derbyshire 2 2.08x
Durham 2 1.09x
Leicestershire 2 2.94x
Surrey 2 0.67x
Middlesex 1 0.16x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Peterborough in Northamptonshire leads with 15 Peaks' recorded in 1881 and an index of 358.85x.

Place Total Index
Peterborough 15 358.85x
Northampton Priory St 8 230.55x
Somersham 8 2666.67x
Beverley St Mary 6 674.16x
Nottingham St Mary 3 14.01x
Stonehouse East 3 461.54x
Bluntisham 2 869.57x
Chatteris 2 202.02x
Foxton 2 2857.14x
Gateshead 2 14.62x
Litchurch 2 51.68x
Sculcoates 2 20.73x
Wolverton 2 259.74x
Croydon 1 6.02x
Fen Stanton 1 454.55x
Glinton 1 1250.00x
Mitcham 1 52.91x
Sheffield 1 5.16x
St Martin In Fields 1 27.17x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 4
Ann 2
Eliza 2
Kate 2
Sarah 2
Agnes 1
Alice 1
Caroline 1
Catharine 1
Catherine 1
Chatrles 1
Eliz.Ann 1
Ellen 1
Emma 1
Gertrude 1
Harriet 1
Jane 1
Julia 1
Lizzie 1
M.A. 1
Martha 1
Matilda 1
Maud 1
Nelly 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
George 7
Charles 4
William 4
John 3
Thomas 2
Alfred 1
Anthony 1
Chandler 1
Christopher 1
David 1
Edward 1
Frank 1
Fredric 1
Harry 1
Joseph 1
Robert 1
Saville 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Peaks households.

FAQ

Peaks surname: questions and answers

How common was the Peaks surname in 1881?

In 1881, 64 people were recorded with the Peaks surname. That placed it at #24,561 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Peaks surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 82 in 2016. That gives Peaks a modern rank of #32,895.

What does the Peaks surname mean?

An English surname derived from a place name referring to locations with pointed hills or mountains.

What does the Peaks map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Peaks 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.