Find out how popular the last name Pendergast is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Pendergast.

Pendergast, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Pendergast surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Pendergast in America

Pendergast is the 9803rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Pendergast surname appeared 3,302 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Pendergast.

We can also compare 2010 data for Pendergast to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Pendergast

The surname Pendergast is of English origin, derived from the Old English personal name "Pendered" and the suffix "gast" meaning "guest" or "stranger". The name was first recorded in the late 11th century in various parts of England, particularly in the counties of Cornwall, Devon, and Somerset.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Pendergast". This suggests that the name was already established in England before the Norman Conquest of 1066.

In the Middle Ages, the Pendergasts were prominent landowners and nobles in the West Country of England. The name is associated with several place names in the region, such as Pendergast Manor in Cornwall and Pendergast Farm in Devon.

One notable figure with the surname Pendergast was Sir John Pendergast (c. 1370-1440), a Cornish knight who served as a Member of Parliament for Cornwall in 1404 and 1419. He was known for his military service during the Hundred Years' War against France.

Another prominent individual was Richard Pendergast (1562-1623), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Dean of Peterborough Cathedral from 1617 until his death.

In the 17th century, several members of the Pendergast family emigrated to the British colonies in North America, including Thomas Pendergast (1613-1678), who settled in Virginia in 1635.

One of the most famous individuals with the surname was Thomas Joseph Pendergast (1872-1945), a political boss who controlled Kansas City, Missouri, and the surrounding counties from the early 1920s to the late 1930s. He was known for his corruption and influence in local and national politics.

Another notable figure was Sir Richard Pendergast (1911-1996), a British diplomat and civil servant who served as the Governor of Norfolk Island from 1965 to 1970.

Throughout its history, the surname Pendergast has been spelled in various ways, including Pendergast, Pendergast, Pendergress, and Pendergress, reflecting the regional variations in pronunciation and spelling in different parts of England.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Pendergast

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Pendergast.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Pendergast was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Pendergast has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Pendergast was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Pendergast, please contact us.

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