PEEL
Peel is an English surname of medieval origin. It is classified as a geographic or topographic name, arising from either a boundary marker or a fortified structure. The name is derived from the Middle English word pel or the Old English pil, meaning a post, stake or small tower, and may have been applied to someone who lived by or maintained such a feature.
The surname appears in the earliest documentary record as Robert de Pele within the Pipe Rolls of Somerset in 1199, during the reign of King Richard I. Subsequent references, such as John de Pele of Lancashire in 1301 and Henry Pele of Yorkshire in 1238, illustrate the surname’s persistence through the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. The association with “peel towers” is especially strong in the border counties of England and Scotland, where these small fortified keeps were common defensive posts in the turbulent Anglo‑Scottish frontier.
Variants of the name are numerous and reflect both linguistic evolution and regional orthographic preferences. These include Peele, Pele, Peeler, Peeles and Pel. Some versions, such as MacPile and MacPell, can be seen in Scotland, while the Dutch form Van de Peel indicates a toponymic origin from the Netherlands. In Ireland the surname is sometimes an anglicisation of the Gaelic Ó Píoll.
Notable historical bearers of the surname have had a profound impact on British society. Sir Robert Peel (1788–1850) served twice as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and founded the Metropolitan Police in 1829. Earlier figures include John Peel of Cumberland (1776–1854), renowned as a huntsman who maintained a pack of hounds for five decades. Earlier records also indicate a Robert Peel of Nottinghamshire in 1382, illustrating the name’s long-standing presence in England.
In heraldic tradition the Peel coat of arms is blazoned as a silver field charged with three red arrows, a blue chief bearing a gold bee in flight. This blazon is recorded in the earliest surviving family crests associated with the surname.
The surname remains the most common name in the United Kingdom’s England, ranking thirteenth in frequency with over 73 000 bearers, and is concentrated particularly in the counties of Lancashire and Cheshire. Its spread to other English-speaking countries, such as the United States, Canada, Australia and Jamaica, reflects the broader patterns of British emigration during the colonial era.
Typical given names associated with the Peel surname
Male
- Andrew
- Anthony
- Christopher
- David
- James
- John
- Michael
- Richard
- Robert
- Stephen
Female
- Andrea
- Elizabeth
- Emma
- Helen
- Joan
- Julie
- Karen
- Margaret
- Mary
- Nicola
- Sarah
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
- Peal
- Peale
- Pile
- Peels
- Peele
- Pal
- Peals
- Pail
- Paal
- Pahl
- Pall
- Paul
- Pawl
- Pale
- Pee
- Peall
- Peell
- Peelo
- Peeley
- Pele
- Pael
- Pahla
- Pahle
- Paiella
- Paila
- Paile
- Paill
- Pailla
- Pala
- Palai
- Palao
- Palau
- Palea
- Paleo
- Pali
- Palia
- Palla
- Pallai
- Palle
- Palli
- Pallie
- Pallo
- Palo
- Palou
- Palu
- Paola
- Paole
- Paoli
- Paolo
- Paula
- Paule
- Pauli
- Paulie
- Paull
- Paulle
- Paulo
- Pawle
- Payle
- Peail
- Pealy
- Pehl
- Peil
- Peile
- Peill
- Pel
- Pela
- Pelaou
- Pelc
- Peled
- Peles
- Pelew
- Peli
- Pell
- Pella
- Pelle
- Pelles
- Pellew
- Pelley
- Pelli
- Pellie
- Pello
- Pelloe
- Pells
- Pelly
- Pelo
- Peloe
- Pelou
- Pelow
- Pels
- Pelt
- Pelz
- Piall
- Piehl
- Piel
- Piela
- Piele
- Pielou
- Pihl
- Piil
- Pil
- Pila
- Pili
- Pilia
- Pill
- Pilla
- Pillai
- Pillau
- Pille
- Pilleau
- Pilli
- Pillo
- Pilo
- Piol
- Piola
- Pioli
- Pla
- Plau
- Ple
- Pleau
- Ples
- Pllu
- Plue
- Poale
- Poel
- Poell
- Pohl
- Pohle
- Poiel
- Poil
- Poile
- Pol
- Pola
- Pole
- Poleo
- Poli
- Polio
- Poll
- Polla
- Polle
- Polli
- Pollie
- Pollio
- Pollo
- Polo
- Polu
- Pooel
- Pool
- Poola
- Poole
- Pooll
- Poolle
- Pooloo
- Pouell
- Pouille
- Poul
- Poule
- Poull
- Poulle
- Poulo
- Poulou
- Powl
- Powle
- Powll
- Poyle
- Pual
- Puel
- Puello
- Puhl
- Pul
- Pula
- Pule
- Puleio
- Puleo
- Puli
- Pull
- Pulla
- Pulle
- Pullee
- Pulli
- Pullia
- Pulo
- Pyla
- Pyle
- Pyll
- Pylle
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Peel in...
Braille
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Did you know?
According to a survey carried out by Democracy Club, politicians and candidates with the surname Peel are most likely to say that their favourite biscuit is a Custard Cream.
There are approximately 8,576 people named Peel in the UK. That makes it roughly the 1,104th most common surname in Britain. Around 132 in a million people in Britain are named Peel.
Surname type: Location or geographical feature
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Peel
- William Peel, 3rd Earl Peel - Member of the House of Lords and Lord Chamberlain of the Royal Household
- Robert Peel - Conservative statesman (1788 to 1850)
- Dwayne Peel - Welsh rugby union football player and coach
- Hannah Peel - Musician
- Stephen Peel - Banker and rower
- William Peel, 1st Earl Peel - Politician (1867 to 1937)
- Sidney Peel - Soldier, financier and Conservative politician (1870 to 1938)
- Bobby Peel - Cricket player (1857 to 1941)
- David Peel - Actor (1920 to 1981)
- Arthur Peel, 2nd Earl Peel - Peer (1901 to 1969)
- William Peel - Colonial administrator (1875 to 1945)
- John Peel - Conservative Party politician (1912 to 2004)
- Ian Peel - Sport shooter
- John Peel - Doctor (1904 to 2005)
- Nathan Peel - Football player
- Harry Peel - Football player (1900 to 1)
- Cheryle Peel - Judoka
- Nigel Peel - Cricketer (1967 to 2016)
- Hugh William Peel - Comedian (1887 to 1975)
- Bertram Peel - (1881 to 1945)
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.