An English surname the Peck family name refers to someone who works with weights and measures. A dealer in measurements is one who deals in ‘pekkes‘. This is the measurement used in the 12th century for dry goods. Each pekke was equal to 8 quarters of 28 pounds. This measurement is also referred to as 8 quarts or a quarter of a bushel. The Peck surname can also refer to someone who lived by a pointed hill or peak.

In England, most Peck families settled on the eastern coastal counties. The higher concentration of Peck families are in Suffolk, Norfolk, Yorkshire Lincolnshire and especially in the city of London.

A German spelling for Peck is Beck. In German it referred to a person who sold pitch.
In Dutch the Peck name is Pec or Pick and indicates a person in a melancholy temper.

In the United States most Peck families live in New York, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Illinois, California, Iowa and Missouri.

Famous: George Washington Peck (U. S. Representative from Michigan), Gayle Peck (stage name of Julie London), Gregory Peck (film actor), Richard Peck (author), William R. Peck (Civil War Confederate general) and George Peck (founder of Peck & Peck).