Show ContentsPeer History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Peer family

The surname Peer was first found in the Palatinate, where the name emerged in mediaeval times as one of the notable families of the region. From the 13th century the surname was identified with the great social and economic evolution which made this territory a landmark contributor to the development of the nation.

Early History of the Peer family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Peer research. Another 175 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1614, 1615, 1624, 1652, 1667, 1676, 1677, 1727, 1747, 1779, 1784, 1790, 1819, 1827, 1856, 1864, 1895 and 1918 are included under the topic Early Peer History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Peer Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Peter, Petter, Peeter, Peetter, Peater, Peatter, Peters, Petersen, Peer, Peers and many more.

Early Notables of the Peer family

Notables with the name Peer during this period were Catharina Peeters (1615-1676), Flemish Baroque painter noted for painting seascapes; Johannes (or Jan) Peeters (1624-1677), a Flemish Baroque painter who specialized in seascapes and shipwrecks; Bonaventura Peeters the Elder (1614-1652), a Flemish painter, draughtsman and etcher; John Peeters or Pieters (1667-1727), born in Antwerp, Belgium, a Belgium painter related to Bonaventura Peeters who emigrated to England, nicknamed "Doctor Peeters" for his restoration of damaged pictures and drawings.Carl Friedrich...
Another 76 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Peer Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Peer Ranking

In the United States, the name Peer is the 8,895th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. [1]


United States Peer migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Peer Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • T Peer, who arrived in Virginia in 1670 [2]
Peer Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Jacob Peer, who arrived in New Jersey in 1730 [2]
  • John Peer, who landed in Frederick County, Maryland in 1796 [2]
Peer Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • W Peer, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1851 [2]

New Zealand 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 [3]
  • Mrs. Peer, British settler travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Hydaspes" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 28th October 1868 [3]

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 [4]
  • 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


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. 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)
  3. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  4. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 4) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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