The Peer surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 3,736 people carried this name — #8,773 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 78,700 people counted. That is down 1% from 3,763 in 2000.

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In Switzerland’s population statistics

253 people named Peer live in Switzerland.

They live in 15 of Switzerland’s 26 cantons, most of all in Graubünden.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Where they live today

Graubünden 76
Zurich 56
St. Gallen 21
Lucerne 15
Bern 14
Vaud 13
Zug 12
Glarus 9

Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO), «Surnames of the permanent resident population by canton», 2025, opendata.swiss/en/dataset/nachnamen-der-standigen-wohnbevolkerung-nach-kanton3 · names with fewer than 3 bearers in a canton are not published.

In Belgium’s population register

At least 21 people named Peer live in Belgium.

Statbel only publishes a name in a municipality when five or more people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in Antwerp.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they live today

Antwerp 21

Statbel (Statistics Belgium), family names of the population by municipality, 1 January 2026 — CC BY 4.0.

In national population registers

56 people named Peer is counted in Slovenia.

Slovenia counts its residents on 1 January 2026.

Counted, by country

Slovenia (2026) 56

Source: Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia (SURS), SiStat tables 05X1015S–05X1018S, family names of the population, 1 January 2026 (names with 20 or more bearers shown).

In print

Peer in American newspapers,
1902–1923.

Newspaper page from White Pine News carrying the name Peer
White Pine News 1923-05-06
Newspaper page from Wadsworth Semi-weekly Dispatch carrying the name Peer
Wadsworth Semi-weekly Dispatch 1902-04-04
Newspaper page from Highland Recorder carrying the name Peer
Highland Recorder 1907-03-22

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 1,449 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Peer in Australian newspapers,
1830s–1990s.

2,565 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Peer. The most, 478, date from the 1910s. Weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, it stands out most in New South Wales, at 1.3 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 1,042
Victoria 579
Queensland 493
South Australia 228
Western Australia 128
Tasmania 65
ACT (Canberra) 7
Northern Territory 3

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Peer.

Who carried it

People named Peer,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Heinrich Peer
    Heinrich Peer 1867–1927 · actor
  • William Peer d. 1713 · actor
  • Blasius Bärr d. 1683 · teacher
  • August Heinrich Peer 1785–1847
  • Franz Peer 1853–1938 · politician
  • Josef Peer 1864–1925 · judge

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Peer,
in the records of 7 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States436 records

436 records of the Peer name in the United States
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 145
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 111
  • Other U.S. records 180
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record George W. Peer

    Born 1912 in New York. Enlisted 1943 at New York City; purchasing agent from Kings County. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1981, buried at Calverton National Cemetery, New York.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Annie Peer

    Arrived at New York in 1884 aboard the Egypt from Liverpool, aged 20; servant. From Cardiff, Wales.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)
  3. A U.S. Army record of death and interment, Camp Nelson, Kentucky, 1864
    Example: U.S. burial record, 1864
    Burial record Donald L. Peer

    U.S. Army veteran of the Korean War. Born 1934, died 1986; buried at Riverside National Cemetery, California.

    U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)

Showing 3 of 436 records for Peer in the United States.

Counts: NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Record of death and interment, Camp Nelson, Kentucky, 1864, U.S. National Archives (public domain).

Netherlands834 records

834 records of the Peer name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 437
  • Dutch population registers 204
  • Dutch church registers before 1811 193
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Maria Peer

    Married in 1824 in Nijmegen; maidservant, born 1793 in Bemmel (Lingewaard). Died 1857 in Nijmegen, aged 64.

    Open Archives, Gelders Archief (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Theodorus Peer

    Married in 1921 in Hilversum; engine driver. Died 1960 in Heerlen, aged 61.

    Open Archives, Noord-Hollands Archief (CC BY 4.0); Open Archives, Regionaal Historisch Centrum Limburg (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Johanna Theodora Peer

    Born 1888 in 's-Gravenhage. Died 1962 in Eindhoven.

    Open Archives, Haags Gemeentearchief (CC BY 4.0); Open Archives, Brabants Historisch Informatie Centrum (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 834 records for Peer in the Netherlands.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

Germany10 records

10 records of the Peer name in Germany
  • Germany's First World War casualty lists, 1914–1919 9
  • German emigration and citizenship files 1
  1. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Josef Peer

    From Lubianen, Berent. Reported dead in the Prussian casualty list of 3 December 1915 (Infantry Regiment No. 147).

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)
  2. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Civil record Johann Ignaz Peer

    Naturalised in 1825.

    Deutsche Digitale Bibliothek / Landesarchiv Baden-Württemberg (CC0)
  3. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list August Pe.er

    From Mülhausen. Reported missing in the Prussian casualty list of 8 February 1919 (Infantry Regiment No. 56).

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)

Showing 3 of 10 records for Peer in Germany.

Counts: Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0) · Deutsche Digitale Bibliothek (CC0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Deutsche Verlustlisten, Prussian list 1116, 18 April 1918 (scan via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

Canada9 records

9 records of the Peer name in Canada
  • City of Niagara Falls (Ontario) cemetery records 5
  • City of Calgary cemetery records 2
  • Other Canadian records 2
  1. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record John Peer

    Buried in 1902 at Fairview Cemetery, Niagara Falls, Ontario.

    City of Niagara Falls. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Niagara Falls.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Mary Peer

    Died 1946; buried at Brookside Cemetery, Winnipeg, Manitoba.

    City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg.
  3. A Canadian First World War grave register card for a soldier who died of wounds in 1917
    Example: Canadian war grave register, 1917
    War record Philip Edgar Peer

    Died in service in 1918.

    Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada.

Showing 3 of 9 records for Peer in Canada.

Counts: City of Niagara Falls. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Niagara Falls. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Canadian First World War circumstances-of-death register (scan by Scottgraham87 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0).

Australia9 records

9 records of the Peer name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 5
  • NSW convict, estate and railway indexes 1
  • Other Australian records 3
  1. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Pinchas Peer

    Retired electrician of Israel, Victoria; died 1986.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record John Peer

    Sailed from Victoria in 1861 aboard the Wonga Wonga II, bound for Otago, aged 27.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Charlotte Peer

    Married 1854 in Launceston, Tasmania.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 9 records for Peer in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain).

United Kingdom2 records

2 records of the Peer name in the United Kingdom War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead
  1. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record F. W. Peer

    Gunner, Royal Army Medical Corps-. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  2. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record A. J. Peer

    Royal Sussex Regiment. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

Belgium2 records

2 records of the Peer name in Belgium Belgian civil registers (births, marriages, deaths)
  1. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Birth record Georgius Peer

    Born 1903 in Gent.

    Open Archives, Archief Gent (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Birth record Philomena Peer

    Born 1905 in Gent.

    Open Archives, Archief Gent (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Peer.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Peer is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

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