NameCensus.

UK surname

Peat

Derived from a place name referring to an area of peat or bog.

In the 1881 census there were 2,391 people recorded with the Peat surname, ranking it #1,867 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,814, ranked #2,401, down from #1,867 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lanark, London parishes and Gateshead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include County Durham, Lochside and Lincluden and Charnwood.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Peat is 2,932 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 17.7%.

1881 census count

2,391

Ranked #1,867

Modern count

2,814

2016, ranked #2,401

Peak year

1999

2,932 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Peat had 2,391 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,867 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,814 in 2016, ranked #2,401.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,899 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Peat surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Peat surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Peat 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 1,900 #1,525
1861 historical 1,530 #1,852
1881 historical 2,391 #1,867
1891 historical 2,401 #1,960
1901 historical 2,899 #1,933
1911 historical 2,568 #1,994
1997 modern 2,826 #2,286
1998 modern 2,915 #2,313
1999 modern 2,932 #2,310
2000 modern 2,841 #2,360
2001 modern 2,797 #2,353
2002 modern 2,861 #2,348
2003 modern 2,832 #2,323
2004 modern 2,809 #2,345
2005 modern 2,785 #2,336
2006 modern 2,768 #2,346
2007 modern 2,779 #2,359
2008 modern 2,793 #2,361
2009 modern 2,848 #2,368
2010 modern 2,910 #2,375
2011 modern 2,875 #2,363
2012 modern 2,792 #2,388
2013 modern 2,832 #2,399
2014 modern 2,839 #2,407
2015 modern 2,829 #2,396
2016 modern 2,814 #2,401

Geography

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Where Peats are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lanark, London parishes, Gateshead, Edinburgh and St Werburgh. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to County Durham, Lochside and Lincluden, Charnwood and Ashfield. 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 Lanark Lanark
2 London parishes London 3
3 Gateshead Durham
4 Edinburgh Edinburgh
5 St Werburgh Derbyshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 County Durham 066 County Durham
2 Lochside and Lincluden Dumfries and Galloway
3 Charnwood 006 Charnwood
4 Ashfield 003 Ashfield
5 Charnwood 005 Charnwood

Forenames

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First names often paired with Peat

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Peat

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Peat, 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 Peat surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Peat 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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Peat is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Peat is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Peat falls in decile 7 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Peat is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

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

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Peat

The surname PEAT has its origins in northern England and Scotland, where it first emerged in the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "pæt," which referred to a small homestead or farm. This term likely evolved from the Celtic word for a portion or share of land.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the PEAT surname appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Pette" in Yorkshire. This suggests that the name was already established in northern England by the late 11th century.

Throughout the Middle Ages, the PEAT name was particularly prevalent in the Scottish Lowlands and the northern counties of England, such as Northumberland and Cumberland. It was often associated with rural communities and farming families.

Some notable early bearers of the PEAT surname include Robert Peat, a Scottish landowner mentioned in records from Berwickshire in the late 13th century. Another was John Peat, a merchant from Newcastle upon Tyne, who is recorded in a guild register from 1423.

In the 16th and 17th centuries, the PEAT name began to spread more widely across England and Scotland. One prominent figure from this era was William Peat (c. 1570-1637), a Scottish clergyman and author from Fife, who wrote several religious texts.

The 18th century saw the emergence of several notable PEAT families, including the Peats of Peathaugh in Berwickshire, Scotland. Thomas Peat (1707-1781), a member of this family, was a renowned agriculturist and pioneered improvements in crop rotation and soil management.

Another significant figure was Samuel Peat (1766-1824), an English botanist and writer from Yorkshire. He published several works on plant life and was a respected authority on the subject in his time.

In the 19th century, the PEAT surname continued to be well-represented, with individuals such as Joseph Peat (1828-1892), a prominent English businessman and philanthropist from Manchester. He was instrumental in establishing several charitable institutions in the city.

The PEAT name has also been associated with various place names throughout Britain, such as Peattown in Berwickshire, Peat Carr in Yorkshire, and Peat Hill in Northumberland, reflecting the surname's rural origins.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Peat families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Peat 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 425 Peats recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.84x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 425 1.84x
Derbyshire 314 8.61x
Lancashire 221 0.80x
Lanarkshire 219 2.91x
Durham 134 1.93x
Middlesex 106 0.45x
Midlothian 104 3.33x
Surrey 93 0.82x
Leicestershire 81 3.13x
Nottinghamshire 76 2.42x
Cumberland 74 3.69x
Fife 56 4.06x
Angus 49 2.27x
Cheshire 36 0.70x
Bedfordshire 34 2.82x
Kent 31 0.39x
Sussex 30 0.76x
Renfrewshire 28 1.55x
Staffordshire 25 0.32x
Lincolnshire 24 0.64x
West Lothian 23 6.55x
Hampshire 22 0.46x
Perthshire 20 1.91x
Northumberland 17 0.49x
Ayrshire 13 0.75x
Northamptonshire 13 0.59x
Worcestershire 9 0.30x
Hertfordshire 8 0.50x
Oxfordshire 8 0.56x
Clackmannanshire 7 3.64x
Huntingdonshire 7 1.51x
Berkshire 6 0.34x
Brecknockshire 6 1.29x
Kincardineshire 6 2.11x
Kirkcudbrightshire 6 1.78x
Roxburghshire 6 1.42x
Stirlingshire 6 0.70x
Westmorland 6 1.17x
Dunbartonshire 5 0.80x
Warwickshire 5 0.09x
Glamorgan 3 0.07x
Gloucestershire 3 0.07x
Wiltshire 3 0.15x
Aberdeenshire 2 0.09x
Cambridgeshire 2 0.14x
Essex 2 0.04x
Flintshire 2 0.32x
Morayshire 2 0.55x
Shropshire 2 0.10x
Caithness 1 0.31x
Denbighshire 1 0.11x
Devon 1 0.02x
Merionethshire 1 0.23x
Norfolk 1 0.03x
Ross-shire 1 0.16x
Royal Navy 1 0.36x
Rutland 1 0.58x
Suffolk 1 0.04x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Leeds in Yorkshire leads with 68 Peats recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.21x.

Place Total Index
Leeds 68 5.21x
Lanark 52 85.75x
Barony 48 2.52x
Derby St Werburgh 35 16.61x
Mansfield Woodhouse 30 143.54x
Islington London 28 1.24x
Pittenweem 28 164.61x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 26 2.07x
Old Monkland 25 8.36x
Sheffield 24 3.26x
South Leith 24 6.83x
Ecclesall Bierlow 23 4.90x
Harthill Cum Woodall 22 248.59x
Liff Benvie 22 6.71x
Ratho 21 144.23x
Eckington 20 22.57x
Headingley Cum Burley 19 12.78x
Long Whatton 19 339.29x
Ashton Under Lyne 18 2.98x
Chorlton On Medlock 18 4.10x
East Greenock 18 10.55x
Horsley 18 82.00x
Sheepshed 18 50.83x
Long Eaton 17 35.30x
Alfreton 16 14.44x
Derby St Alkmund 16 14.63x
Ellel 16 112.20x
Leicester St Margaret 16 2.54x
Liverpool 16 0.95x
Whitby 16 20.56x
Clophill 15 169.49x
Govan 15 0.80x
Toxteth Park 15 1.60x
Battersea 14 1.63x
Reigate Foreign 14 11.39x
Upsall In Thirsk 14 1414.14x
West Derby 14 1.73x
Wirksworth 14 42.21x
South Shields 13 21.05x
St Marylebone London 13 1.04x
Stretford 13 8.54x
Willington 13 316.30x
Camberwell 12 0.81x
Logie 12 31.98x
Southcoates 12 9.36x
Wortley In Bramley 12 6.56x
Bathgate 11 14.44x
Bishopwearmouth 11 1.85x
Dore 11 157.82x
Holy Trinity 11 1.98x
Lesmahagow 11 13.80x
Maulden 11 105.16x
Nottingham St Mary 11 1.35x
Rawdon 11 40.46x
Westoe 11 2.80x
Bishop Auckland 10 10.75x
Bromley London 10 1.95x
Buxton 10 32.38x
Gateshead 10 1.93x
Hamilton 10 4.76x
Manchester 10 0.80x
Spondon 10 71.23x
Bothwell 9 4.40x
Byker 9 5.25x
Duffield 9 31.29x
Esh 9 17.84x
Springthorpe 9 526.32x
Wales 9 49.34x
Wardleworth 9 5.70x
Belper 8 11.31x
Creich 8 258.90x
Great Little Marsden 8 6.32x
Harborne 8 3.17x
Lenton 8 10.81x
Liscard 8 8.63x
Radford 8 5.01x
Rutherglen 8 7.24x
Stockport 8 3.02x
Subdeanery 8 26.84x
Tibshelf 8 44.69x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 150
Sarah 74
Elizabeth 63
Jane 57
Ann 49
Margaret 29
Emma 28
Eliza 27
Hannah 27
Alice 24
Annie 21
Ellen 21
Edith 16
Martha 13
Ada 12
Charlotte 11
Agnes 10
Emily 10
Louisa 10
Gertrude 9
Harriet 9
Maria 9
Fanny 8
Amelia 7
Amy 7
Catherine 6
Esther 6
Kate 6
Lucy 6
Sophia 6
Anne 5
Harriett 5
Isabella 5
Jessie 5
Lavinia 5
Clara 4
Elizth. 4
Florence 4
Frances 4
Lydia 4
Matilda 4
Rebecca 4
Ruth 4
Bertha 3
Caroline 3
Ethel 3
Helen 3
Janet 3
Julia 3
Lizzie 3

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 111
William 108
George 74
Thomas 74
James 52
Joseph 42
Henry 33
Samuel 24
Charles 22
Robert 21
Arthur 20
Alfred 19
Edward 17
David 16
Richard 16
Walter 11
Edwin 7
Frank 7
Isaac 7
Wm. 7
Albert 6
Andrew 6
Francis 6
Fred 6
Herbert 6
Tom 6
Alexander 5
Benjamin 5
Harry 5
Thos. 5
Ernest 4
Frederick 4
Job 4
Jonathan 4
Ralph 4
Stephen 4
Abraham 3
Eli 3
Joshua 3
Robt. 3
Anthony 2
Arnold 2
Artha 2
Christopher 2
Daniel 2
Edgar 2
Josiah 2
Leigh 2
Mark 2
Melling 2

FAQ

Peat surname: questions and answers

How common was the Peat surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,391 people were recorded with the Peat surname. That placed it at #1,867 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Peat surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,814 in 2016. That gives Peat a modern rank of #2,401.

What does the Peat surname mean?

Derived from a place name referring to an area of peat or bog.

What does the Peat map show?

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