Pelfrey
A surname of uncertain origin, likely a regional or altered form of an older European family name.
The #7,997 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 74,648 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Pelfrey is not a standard, well-attested surname with a single secure explanation in the major historical surname dictionaries. Its shape suggests it may be an altered form of an older English or French name, possibly reshaped through spelling variation after migration. In such cases, the original source could have been locational, nickname-based, or even a modified immigrant surname whose earlier form is no longer obvious.
History
The surname is most familiar in the United States, where it appears in relatively small numbers and is likely the result of spelling variation over time. Because the name is uncommon and not clearly documented in the standard older surname references, its early history is hard to pin down with confidence. Like many rare surnames, it may preserve a family line whose original spelling changed as records were written by ear.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Rare surnames like Pelfrey often end up with several competing family spellings in the same region, making genealogy searches especially dependent on local records.