Explore the Family Name Peabody
The meaning of Peabody
English: nickname ‘peacock-body’, from Middle English pe, pey, pay (Old English pēa) ‘peacock’ + body, perhaps for a vain person who dressed ostentatiously. Compare Pea, Peacock. History: The prominent financier and philanthropist George Peabody was born 1795 in South Danvers, now Peabody, MA. His first ancestor in America was Francis Peabody, who emigrated from England in 1635 and settled at Topsfield, MA.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Peabody in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Peabody has seen a slight shift in its popularity between 2000 and 2010. While the overall count of people with this surname increased by 0.66% from 5310 to 5345, it dropped in rank from 5969 to 6367, representing a decrease of 6.67%. Additionally, when looking at the proportion per 100,000 people, there was a reduction of 8.12%, from 1.97 to 1.81, indicating that while the absolute number of people bearing this name grew marginally, its prevalence compared to other surnames decreased.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #5,969 | #6,367 | -6.67% |
| Count | 5,310 | 5,345 | 0.66% |
| Proportion per 100k | 1.97 | 1.81 | -8.12% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Peabody
In terms of ethnicity, the Decennial U.S. Census data shows a few changes over the same decade for individuals with the Peabody surname. Most notably, those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander more than doubled from 0.32% to 0.65%. The proportions of those identifying as Two or more races and Black also increased, by 10.62% and 17.13% respectively. Meanwhile, those identifying as White still make up the majority of individuals with this surname, though this percentage has slightly decreased from 93.13% to 91.45%. The Hispanic representation saw a significant increase, with a change of 49.01%. The percentage of American Indian and Alaskan Native remained constant during this period at 1.05%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 93.13% | 91.45% | -1.8% |
| Black | 2.86% | 3.35% | 17.13% |
| Hispanic | 1.51% | 2.25% | 49.01% |
| Two or More Races | 1.13% | 1.25% | 10.62% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 1.05% | 1.05% | 0% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.32% | 0.65% | 103.12% |
Peabody ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Peabody is British & Irish, which comprises 55.2% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (23.6%) and Eastern European (5.9%). Additional ancestries include Scandinavian, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, Ashkenazi Jewish, and Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 55.2% |
| French & German | 23.6% |
| Eastern European | 5.9% |
| Other | 15.3% |
Possible origins of the surname Peabody
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Peabody have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 93.60% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 93.60% |
| Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom | 93.60% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 93.60% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 92.90% |
What Peabody haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Peabody is R-P311, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-P311 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-L51 and R-CTS241, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Pardue, Dinsmore, Landry, Mattingly, Haskell, Mcshane, Barnum, Cutter, Fortin, Gagne.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Peabody surname are: H1, H, V. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Peabody have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Peabody" Surname 48.8%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Peabody" Surname 33.3%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Peabody" Surname 29.5%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Peabody" Surname 16.8%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Peabody?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Peabody are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition