NameCensus.

UK surname

Peer

A surname referring to a companion, equal in rank, or a member of the nobility in the British Isles.

In the 1881 census there were 130 people recorded with the Peer surname, ranking it #16,911 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 279, ranked #15,534, up from #16,911 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Bedford St Paul and Northampton St Giles, Northampton St Sepulchre, Northampton Priory. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Vale of White Horse, North Somerset and Basingstoke and Deane.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Peer is 280 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 114.6%.

1881 census count

130

Ranked #16,911

Modern count

279

2016, ranked #15,534

Peak year

2014

280 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Peer had 130 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #16,911 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 279 in 2016, ranked #15,534.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 237 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Peer surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Peer surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Peer 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 77 #19,998
1861 historical 125 #17,678
1881 historical 130 #16,911
1891 historical 189 #15,547
1901 historical 198 #15,213
1911 historical 237 #13,406
1997 modern 248 #15,363
1998 modern 256 #15,436
1999 modern 254 #15,638
2000 modern 259 #15,390
2001 modern 261 #15,066
2002 modern 263 #15,277
2003 modern 254 #15,454
2004 modern 254 #15,540
2005 modern 245 #15,857
2006 modern 239 #16,224
2007 modern 237 #16,571
2008 modern 240 #16,535
2009 modern 249 #16,466
2010 modern 266 #16,067
2011 modern 277 #15,433
2012 modern 275 #15,459
2013 modern 277 #15,644
2014 modern 280 #15,621
2015 modern 276 #15,673
2016 modern 279 #15,534

Geography

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Where Peers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Bedford St Paul, Northampton St Giles, Northampton St Sepulchre, Northampton Priory, Ampthill and Crudwell. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Vale of White Horse, North Somerset, Basingstoke and Deane, Leeds and Herefordshire. 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 London parishes London 3
2 Bedford St Paul Bedfordshire
3 Northampton St Giles, Northampton St Sepulchre, Northampton Priory Northamptonshire
4 Ampthill Bedfordshire
5 Crudwell Wiltshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Vale of White Horse 009 Vale of White Horse
2 North Somerset 024 North Somerset
3 Basingstoke and Deane 017 Basingstoke and Deane
4 Leeds 040 Leeds
5 Herefordshire 019 Herefordshire, County of

Forenames

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First names often paired with Peer

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Peer

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Peer is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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 concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Peer is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Peer falls in decile 9 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.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Peer is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Peer

The surname PEER is of English origin, deriving from the Old English word "pere," which means "pear tree." This surname likely originated in the medieval period and was initially used to identify individuals who lived near or owned land with pear trees.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname PEER can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive record of landowners and properties in England at the time of the Norman Conquest. The Domesday Book mentions a person named Radulfus Peer, who held lands in Oxfordshire.

During the 13th and 14th centuries, the surname PEER appeared in various records and documents across England. For example, the Hundred Rolls of 1273 mention a William le Peer residing in Cambridgeshire. The Subsidy Rolls of 1327 list a John Peer in Somerset.

The surname PEER may also be associated with certain place names, such as Peerston or Peertown, which were derived from the Old English words "pere" and "tun," meaning "pear tree settlement."

Notable individuals with the surname PEER throughout history include:

1. Sir Robert Peer (1588-1670), an English politician and member of parliament during the English Civil War. 2. Henry Peer (1612-1690), an English Puritan minister and author who wrote several religious works. 3. Mary Peer (1789-1853), a British painter and illustrator known for her botanical illustrations. 4. William Peer (1823-1899), an American engineer who designed and constructed several bridges and railroads in the United States. 5. Arthur Peer (1886-1968), a British artist and sculptor known for his works depicting scenes from World War I.

These are just a few examples of individuals with the surname PEER who have left their mark throughout history, demonstrating the rich heritage and diverse backgrounds associated with this name.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Peer families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Peer 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. Wiltshire leads with 26 Peers recorded in 1881 and an index of 23.19x.

County Total Index
Wiltshire 26 23.19x
Bedfordshire 23 35.03x
Middlesex 15 1.18x
Essex 14 5.59x
Northamptonshire 10 8.39x
Surrey 7 1.13x
Kent 6 1.39x
Gloucestershire 4 1.61x
Lancashire 4 0.27x
Nottinghamshire 4 2.34x
Leicestershire 3 2.13x
Worcestershire 3 1.81x
Norfolk 2 1.03x
Suffolk 2 1.30x
Cambridgeshire 1 1.25x
Derbyshire 1 0.50x
Devon 1 0.38x
Hampshire 1 0.38x
Lincolnshire 1 0.49x
Staffordshire 1 0.23x
Yorkshire 1 0.08x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Crudwell in Wiltshire leads with 20 Peers recorded in 1881 and an index of 6060.61x.

Place Total Index
Crudwell 20 6060.61x
Bedford St Paul 13 288.89x
Hornchurch 9 731.71x
Ampthill 8 816.33x
Mile End Old Town 8 39.98x
Lambeth 6 5.43x
Northampton St Giles 6 132.16x
Oaksey 6 3157.89x
Liverpool 4 4.38x
Nottingham St Mary 4 9.05x
Plumstead 4 27.74x
Cirencester 3 89.02x
Claines 3 66.08x
East Ham 3 64.66x
Loughborough 3 47.02x
Islington London 2 1.63x
Southwold 2 219.78x
Barking 1 13.66x
Bedford St Mary 1 59.17x
Bermondsey 1 2.65x
Biggleswade 1 46.51x
Carisbrooke 1 27.70x
Castle Rising 1 666.67x
Clerkenwell London 1 3.34x
Deptford St Nicholas 1 29.15x
Dodford 1 1111.11x
Folkestone 1 11.92x
Foulness 1 322.58x
Great Grimsby 1 7.77x
Hackney London 1 1.41x
Hammersmith London 1 3.20x
Irthlingborough 1 85.47x
Newton Abbot St Mary 1 45.25x
North Walsham 1 70.92x
Northampton Priory St 1 13.97x
Northampton St Sepulchre 1 16.47x
Pudsey 1 14.88x
Soham 1 57.80x
St George Bloomsbury 1 13.76x
Stoke Newington London 1 10.12x
Stratton 1 333.33x
Tibshelf 1 103.09x
Wednesbury 1 9.35x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 10
William 9
Thomas 8
James 5
Joseph 4
Arthur 3
Charles 3
Robert 3
Albert 2
Alfred 2
Frank 2
George 2
Abraham 1
Augustus 1
Charlse 1
David 1
Edmund 1
Ernest 1
Florian 1
Frances 1
Fredrick 1
Gallie 1
Harold 1
Henry 1
Herbert 1
Lewis 1
Martin 1
Samuel 1
Stuart 1
Walter 1
Wm.R. 1

FAQ

Peer surname: questions and answers

How common was the Peer surname in 1881?

In 1881, 130 people were recorded with the Peer surname. That placed it at #16,911 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Peer surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 279 in 2016. That gives Peer a modern rank of #15,534.

What does the Peer surname mean?

A surname referring to a companion, equal in rank, or a member of the nobility in the British Isles.

What does the Peer map show?

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