PEGG
Pegg is a surname of English provenance, with linguistic roots that extend into Greek. Its earliest known form, Pegga, appears in the Pipe Rolls of Warwickshire in 1165, during the reign of King Henry I.
One common derivation of the name is a diminutive of the medieval given name Pegge, itself a pet form of Margaret. The female name Margaret is derived from the Greek word margarites, meaning "pearl". Consequently, the surname Pegg may have originated as a nickname or a patronymic signifying a person named Margaret, or as a metronymic surname taken from a maternal ancestor.
Alternative origins include an occupational origin, identifying a maker or seller of wooden pegs, and a descriptive nickname for a person exhibiting a limping gait or possessing a long straight nose. In this sense, the name is related to the Old English word pegge, a pre‑7th century term meaning "peg".
Other etymological traditions describe Pegg as an Anglicised form of the Old Norse personal name Pétr, itself derived from the Greek petros meaning "rock". This variant entered the British Isles through Scandinavian settlers and was recorded in the late 13th century.
Historic records list early bearers such as Turbet Peg of Hampshire in 1192 and Ralph Pegg of Somerset in 1243. Church registers from the diocese of Greater London document Richard Pegg, christened in 1607 at St. Brides Fleet Street, and the marriage of John Pegg and Elizabeth Davis in 1611 at St. Andrews by the Wardrobe.
The surname has acquired several spellings over the centuries. Common variants include Pegge, Peggs, and Peachey. Less frequent forms are Peggett and Pig; the latter is of North German origin and is not historically connected to the English variants.
Geographically the name is most concentrated in the West Midlands, particularly in Staffordshire, Worcestershire and the Black Country, though it is also found in Greater Manchester, Lancashire, North Yorkshire and Derbyshire. Outside the United Kingdom, it is predominantly encountered in Australia and the United States, with significant concentrations in Ohio and Pennsylvania.
Throughout history, bearers of the surname have served as landowners, craftsmen, civic leaders, and members of the armed forces. Their participation includes the Boar War, the First and Second World Wars and the American Revolution. Their contributions have secured the name’s enduring reputation within local and international communities.
Typical given names associated with the Pegg surname
Male
- Andrew
- Christopher
- David
- James
- John
- Michael
- Richard
- Robert
- Stephen
- Steven
Female
- Claire
- Elizabeth
- Emma
- Helen
- Jean
- Jennifer
- Kathryn
- Margaret
- Patricia
- Rachel
- 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 Pegg in...
Braille
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Morse
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There are approximately 5,307 people named Pegg in the UK. That makes it roughly the 1,785th most common surname in Britain. Around 81 in a million people in Britain are named Pegg.
Surname type: From given name or forename
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Pegg
- Simon Pegg - Actor
- Dave Pegg - Multi-instrumentalist, record producer
- Kia Pegg - Actress
- David Pegg - Football player (1935 to 1958)
- Matt Pegg - Musician
- Frank Pegg - Football player (1902 to 1991)
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.