An English surname, Peacock comes from the Middle English terms of ‘pa’ and ‘cok’ which refers to a boasting person. A variation in spelling for Peacock is Peacocke. In Durham, England were the earliest Peacock families. Later the Peacock families settled in Yorkshire, Lancashire, Sussex and the city of London. Within the United States the English Peacock settlers lived in Virginia starting in the 1600s. Later the Peacock families moved into New York, Georgia, Illinois, Florida, Texas, Ohio, Michigan and California. Famous: Thomas Love Peacock (author from England), Daniel Peacock (actor, writer, director in England), Charlie Peacock (musical songwriter), John Peacock (medical doctor and chief of the neurology division at the University of Nevada) and Ian Peacock (English executive radio and television producer and writer).