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![Show Contents]() Peer History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The Peer surname is thought to have evolved independently from two distinct sources. Some instances of the name come from the Middle English "le pere," from the Old English "le-ap," meaning "a basket;" in which case the name was occupational for a basket maker. Other instances of the name come from the Old English "hle-apere," meaning a "dancer," "runner," or "courier," and the name would have been either occupational or nickname. Early Origins of the Peer familyThe surname Peer was first found in Warwickshire the first on record of the name appears to be Robert Lepere, a Knights Templar in Warwickshire in 1185. Later in Essex, Geoffrey Lepere was listed in the Curia Regis Rolls for 1221. Richard le Lepor was recorded in 1298. 1 The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 included: Geoffrey le Lepere, Oxfordshire; Walter le Lepere, Buckinghamshire; and Robert Leper, Lincolnshire. In Yorkshire, Alicia Lepar was listed there in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379. William le Poure was found in the Close Rolls, 1 Edward I (during the first year of the reign of King Edward I.) 2 Early History of the Peer familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Peer research. Another 59 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1200, 1295 and 1713 are included under the topic Early Peer History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Peer Spelling VariationsSpelling variations in names were a common occurrence in the eras before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate regularly changed the spellings of their names as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Peer have been found, including Leeper, Leaper, Leper, LePere, Lepere, Lepper, Leiper, Leyper, Peer, Pere, Peir and many more. Early Notables of the Peer familyOutstanding amongst the family at this time was - William Peer (died 1713), English actor...
Peer RankingIn the United States, the name Peer is the 8,895th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 3
 Peer migration to the United States | + |
For many English families, the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. For such families, the shores of Ireland, Australia, and the New World beckoned. They left their homeland at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. Many arrived after the long voyage sick, starving, and without a penny. But even those were greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. Numerous English settlers who arrived in the United States and Canada at this time went on to make important contributions to the developing cultures of those countries. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Peer were among those contributors:
Peer Settlers in United States in the 17th Century- T Peer, who arrived in Virginia in 1670 4
Peer Settlers in United States in the 18th Century- Jacob Peer, who arrived in New Jersey in 1730 4
- John Peer, who landed in Frederick County, Maryland in 1796 4
Peer Settlers in United States in the 19th Century- W Peer, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1851 4
| Peer migration to New Zealand | + |
Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include: Peer Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century- Mr. Peer, British settler travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Hydaspes" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 28th October 1868 5
- Mrs. Peer, British settler travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Hydaspes" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 28th October 1868 5
| Contemporary Notables of the name Peer (post 1700) | + |
- Beverly Peer (1912-1997), American jazz double-bassist
- Ralph Sylvester Peer (1892-1960), American talent scout, recording engineer and record producer
- Elizabeth Clow Peer (1936-1984), birth name of Elizabeth Peer Jansson, American journalist, the first female foreign correspondent at Newsweek
- George W. Peer (b. 1832), American Republican politician, Member of Michigan State House of Representatives from Genesee County 1st District, 1895-96 6
- Stephen Peer (1840-1887), Canadian tightrope walker who fell to his death while walking a tightrope over Niagara Falls
- Peer Aertsens, Dutch actor
- Peer Kluge, German footballer
- Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
- Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
- "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
- Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
- New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
- The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 4) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
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Peer migration to the United States 
Peer migration to New Zealand 
England
Germany
