Guild of One-Name Studies
One-name studies, Genealogy
Study: Peak
Variants: McPeake, Peake
Category: 3 - A study where research using core genealogical datasets and transcriptions is well under way on a global basis.
Website: www.ozgenonline.com/~agpeake/
Contact: Mr Andrew Peake
The surname has had those who have illuminated the surname and others that have brought the surname into ill repute. Those who have been publicly acknowledged with honour thrust upon them include:
The family with the longest traceable history is that of the Henllan, Denbighshire Peake family that settled at Henllan in the late 13th century with descendants now living in England, New Zealand and Canada.
The Surname Atlas analysing the 1881 Census data gives the following frequency for the surname variants: Peak - 1257, Peake - 2891, Peek - 792, Peeke - 174.
The Surname Profiler analyising both the 1881 Census data and 1998 data gives the following frequency for the surname variants: Peak - 1257 (1881) 1038 (1998), Peake - 2881 (1881) 3452 (1998), Peeke - 154 (1881) 174 (1998).
As can be seen the Peake variant is the most common spelling of the surname.
The Surname Atlas and Surname Profiler with data from the 1881 Census indicates that the Peake surname is most common in the Black Country (Cheshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire) and into Lancashire; the West Country (Devon and Cornwall); East Anglia (Norfolk and Suffolk); and in Kent, plus London and Middlesex.
The Peak distribution is little different, with the principal concentration in Lancashire, Cheshire and Staffordshire, Cornwall, Kent, and London, Middlesex.
The Peak-Peake surname can now be found in most of the former and current British Commonwealth countries, South America (primarily Chile) and the United States.
This is a 'low-budget' one-name study and as a result there has been minimal expenditure on civil registration certificates, probate records and private research. Primary research has used the Great Britain Censuses from 1841 to 1921, 1939 Register, FamilySearch (International Genealogical Index), National Burial Index (for Great Britain) and FreeBDM (for England/Wales civil registration indexes, 1837+). Civil registration records for Australian states, New Zealand and some on-line Canadian provinces. Military lists such as the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Australian military records for World War I and II, and the British Medal Index for World War I. Passenger arrival records for Australian states, New Zealand, Ellis Island (New York) and Canadian indexes. Other internet indexes have been used as well. Extensive information has been extracted from the primary 'pay-to-view' sites, Ancestry and FindMyPast and added to the data base. A quite extensive data base has now been created.
This information has been extracted into a Legacy family history package software, creating family groups and inter-generational charts. As a result this material is easily searched, although complicated by the common useage of many forenames, such as John, William, etc.