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

Pétion, 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 Pétion surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Pétion in America

Pétion is the 34223rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Pétion surname appeared 663 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Pétion.

We can also compare 2010 data for Pétion 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 Pétion

The surname PETION originates from Haiti and dates back to the late 18th century. It is derived from the French word "petit," meaning small or little. This name likely originated as a descriptive nickname given to someone of small stature or as a distinguishing term for a younger member of a family.

One of the earliest and most notable individuals to bear this surname was Alexandre Sabès Pétion, a Haitian revolutionary leader, and the first President of the Republic of Haiti. He was born in 1770 and served as president from 1806 to 1818. Pétion played a crucial role in the Haitian Revolution and the country's struggle for independence from French colonial rule.

Another significant historical figure with this surname was Monique Mica-Petion, a Haitian-American author and educator. Born in 1935, she wrote several books exploring Haitian culture and identity, including "The Haitian Trilogy" and "Zombie Poetry."

In the 19th century, records show a Jean-Pierre Petion, a prominent Haitian politician and diplomat who served as Minister of Foreign Affairs and as a representative to the United States.

Historically, the PETION surname has also been associated with the town of Pétionville, a commune located in the hills above Port-au-Prince, Haiti. This town was named after President Alexandre Sabès Pétion and became a popular destination for Haitian elites and foreign diplomats in the early 19th century.

Variations of the spelling have included Petion, Pétyon, and Petiyon, reflecting the French influence on the Haitian Creole language and the name's evolution over time.

Throughout history, other notable individuals bearing the PETION surname include Frederic Petion, a Haitian painter and sculptor active in the 20th century, and Micheline Petion, a Haitian-American novelist and poet known for her works exploring themes of identity and diaspora.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Pétion

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

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

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

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