Peacock History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms 

Origins Available: 
  England 
  Ireland 
  Scotland 


The name Peacock comes from the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. It was a name for a peacock, a nickname used also as a personal name. 1 2 3 Or the name could denote a "dweller at the sign of the peacock; one with the qualities of a peacock." 4

While most sources agree on this etymology of the name, one source postulates the name could be from Peakirk, a parish, in the union and soke of Peterborough, N. division of the county of Northampton. 5 "St. Pega, in 714, settled here in a cell, afterwards converted by Edmund Atheling into a monastery, which, though twice destroyed by the Danes, existed till 1048: there are remains in the parish." 6

Early Origins of the Peacock family

The surname Peacock was first found in Essex, where the name Pecoc was listed in the Domesday Book of 1086. 7 From this earliest record of the family, we move to Cornwall where Roger Paucoc was listed in the Pipe Rolls for 1194. Years later in Somerset, the Assize Rolls there listed Richard Pocock in 1225 and in Yorkshire, Simon Pacock was listed in the Subsidy Rolls for 1297. As a forename, Pecoc de Briminton was recorded in the Assize Rolls for Cheshire in 1285. Moving back to Essex, Robert Pecok (Paycock) was listed there in the Subsidy Rolls of 1327. 1

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 had three listings for the family: Geoffrey Pokoc, Cambridgeshire; Hugh Pokok, Oxfordshire; and Robert Pokoc, Lincolnshire. 8 In Somerset, Walter Pokok and Roger Pokok were listed there, 1 Edward III (during the first year of King Edward I's reign.) 9

The name was also found in Scotland where "a gift of six pennies annually was made from the toft of Roger Pacok in Annan in thirteenth century. Andreas Pacok was presbyter and notary public in the diocese of St. Andrews, 1311-1321, and the name appears frequently in the parish register of Dunfermline, 1561-1700, as Paycok (1564) and Paicok (1572). Thomas Pacok had grant of a third part of the land of Quhitfeilde in the barony of Lyntounrothrike in 1378, and another Thomas Pacok was presented to a chaplaincy in 1426. Andrew Pacock was notary public in Dunfermling, 1512, and George Pacok was witness in Linlithgow, 1536." 10

Early History of the Peacock family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Peacock research. Another 229 words (16 lines of text) covering the years 1300, 1510, 1516, 1528, 1534, 1535, 1537, 1541, 1554, 1582, 1596, 1598, 1601, 1612, 1631, 1647, 1648, 1649, 1650, 1651, 1652, 1653, 1673, 1707, 1843 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Peacock History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Peacock Spelling Variations

Only recently has spelling become standardized in the English language. As the English language evolved in the Middle Ages, the spelling of names changed also. The name Peacock has undergone many spelling variations, including Peacock, Peacocke and others.

Early Notables of the Peacock family

Notables of this surname at this time include:

Peacock World Ranking

In the United States, the name Peacock is the 1,609th most popular surname with an estimated 19,896 people with that name. 11 However, in Australia, the name Peacock is ranked the 786th most popular surname with an estimated 4,958 people with that name. 12 And in New Zealand, the name Peacock is the 679th popular surname with an estimated 1,047 people with that name. 13 The United Kingdom ranks Peacock as 426th with 15,212 people. 14

Migration of the Peacock family to Ireland

Some of the Peacock family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 60 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Peacock migration to the United States +

To escape the unstable social climate in England of this time, many families boarded ships for the New World with the hope of finding land, opportunity, and greater religious and political freedom. Although the voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, those families that arrived often found greater opportunities and freedoms than they could have experienced at home. 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 Peacock were among those contributors:

Peacock Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
Peacock Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
Peacock Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Peacock migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Peacock Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
Peacock Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Peacock migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Peacock Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Peacock 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:

Peacock Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Peacock migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 24
Peacock Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

Contemporary Notables of the name Peacock (post 1700) +


Suggested Readings for the name Peacock +
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