PECK

Peck is an English surname that has its roots in the British Isles and is traditionally associated with a Christian cultural background.

The name is classified as an occupational surname and is thought to derive from the Middle English word pecke, which referred to a small measure of dry goods or a small bundle of hay. In this sense, it could have been applied to a person who sold or produced such goods. An alternative explanation considers the term peck to mean a small amount or the beak of a small bird, which would then serve as a nickname for someone deemed modest or insignificant in stature.

Further research indicates that the surname may also have arisen as a metonymic occupational name for an individual involved in weights and measures. Such a person might have acted as a civil official responsible for ensuring that merchandise was sold at the correct weight, or could have been a corn merchant trading in pekkes. A peke was a medieval measurement of dry goods, equal to eight quarters of twenty‑eight pounds; this unit of weight remained in use in England into the twentieth century.

Other potential origins include a topographical variant of Peak, derived from the Old English word peac meaning a point, which would have described someone living near a pointed hill. A third possibility is a locational surname from the Peak District of Derbyshire, stemming from the descriptive phrase peac‑land.

The earliest extant record of the family name appears in the period of the reign of King Henry I, dated 1187, in the Pipe Rolls of Hampshire under the spelling Richard Pecke. Later documentation includes the christening of Edward, son of John Peck on 27 March 1580 at St. Antholin, Budge Row in London, and the departure of Francis Peck from London aboard the Alexander bound for the Barbadoes in May 1635.

Throughout English history the surname has been relatively common, and migration has seen it spread throughout English‑speaking countries. Its persistence across centuries and its various possible origins reflect a broad social base and a strong linkage to English commercial and geographical practices.

In sum, the surname Peck encapsulates a range of occupational, topographical and locational significances, each echoing a distinctive aspect of English linguistic and cultural heritage.

Typical given names associated with the Peck surname

Male

• Andrew
• Anthony
• Christopher
• David
• James
• John
• Michael
• Richard
• Robert
• Simon
• Stephen

Female

• Alison
• Elizabeth
• Emma
• Jane
• Jean
• Julie
• Margaret
• Mary
• Nicola
• Patricia
• Sarah
• Susan

Similar and related surnames

Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.

How to communicate the surname Peck in...

Braille

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Morse

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Semaphore

Surname type: Occupational name

Origin: English

Region of origin: British Isles

Country of origin: England

Religion of origin: Christian

Language of origin: English

Famous people named Peck

• Gregory Peck - American actor (1916 to 2003)
• Bob Peck - Actor (1945 to 1999)
• Josh Peck - American actor, voice actor and comedian
• Ian Peck - Cricketer
• Ged Peck - Musician (1947 to 2015)
• Terry Peck - Falkland Islands soldier and police officer (1938 to 2006)
• Rory Peck - Irish journalist (1956 to 1993)
• John Peck - Diplomat (1913 to 1995)
• Edmund Peck - Anglican missionary (1850 to 1924)
• Jake Peck - Football player
• Michael Peck -
• Edward Armour Peck - Canadian politician (1858 to 1947)
• Richard Peck -
• Trevor Peck - Football player (1938 to 2014)

Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.

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