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

Pendergrass, 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 Pendergrass surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Pendergrass in America

Pendergrass is the 4378th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Pendergrass surname appeared 8,123 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Pendergrass.

We can also compare 2010 data for Pendergrass 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 Pendergrass

The surname Pendergrass has its origins in England, tracing back to the early medieval period. It is believed to have derived from an Old English locational name, referring to someone who lived near a steep valley or a grassy slope. The name is composed of the elements "pendre," meaning steep or precipitous, and "græs," meaning grass.

One of the earliest recorded references to the name Pendergrass can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which mentions a place called "Pendergrasse" in Gloucestershire. This suggests that the surname may have originated from a place name in this region.

In the 13th century, records show the name appearing as "Pendregras" and "Pendergrasse" in various parts of England, particularly in the counties of Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, and Somerset. These early spellings highlight the evolution of the name over time.

Notably, the Pendergrass family is associated with the village of Penderyn in the Brecon Beacons National Park, Wales. The name "Penderyn" is believed to share a similar etymology, meaning "a steep hill" or "a grassy slope."

Among the notable individuals bearing the Pendergrass surname throughout history are:

1. Thomas Pendergrass (1622-1692), an English Baptist minister and writer who was a prominent figure during the Puritan era.
2. John Pendergrass (1756-1823), an American soldier who fought in the American Revolutionary War.
3. Theodric Romeyn Pendergrass (1823-1899), an American politician and lawyer who served as a judge in New York.
4. Emerson Pendergrass (1896-1976), an American businessman and philanthropist, known for his contributions to education and the arts.
5. Theodore Pendergrass (1950-2010), an American singer and songwriter who was a leading figure in the Philadelphia soul music scene.

While the Pendergrass surname may have originated from a specific geographical location, it has since spread across various regions and countries, carried by individuals and families throughout the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Pendergrass

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

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 Pendergrass 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 Pendergrass 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 Pendergrass was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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