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

Petit, 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 Petit surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Petit in America

Petit is the 5692nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Petit surname appeared 6,090 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Petit.

We can also compare 2010 data for Petit 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 Petit

The surname Petit is of French origin, derived from the Old French word "petit" meaning "small" or "little." It is believed to have originated as a descriptive nickname referring to a person's physical stature or as a means of distinguishing between individuals with the same given name.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Petit can be traced back to the 11th century in various regions of France, including Normandy, Brittany, and Île-de-France. It is found in medieval records such as the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of England and parts of Wales commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086.

During the Middle Ages, the surname Petit was particularly prevalent in the regions of Normandy and Brittany. Historical records from this period mention notable individuals bearing this surname, including Geoffroy Petit, a knight who fought in the Battle of Bouvines in 1214, and Jeanne Petit, a French heroine who played a crucial role in the defense of Rouen during the Hundred Years' War.

As the surname spread across Europe, it underwent various spelling variations, such as Petyt, Pettit, and Pettitt, reflecting regional differences in pronunciation and scribal practices. In England, the name is often found as Pettit or Pettitt, while in Germany, it is sometimes spelled as Petit or Petith.

Several prominent figures throughout history have borne the surname Petit, including:

1. Jean Petit (c. 1360-1411), a French theologian and one of the leaders of the Burgundian faction during the Armagnac-Burgundian Civil War.
2. Pierre Petit (1594-1677), a French painter and engraver known for his religious works and portraits.
3. Alexis Petit (1799-1859), a French mathematician and engineer who made significant contributions to the development of differential equations.
4. François Petit (1828-1890), a French astronomer and pioneer in the field of astrophotography.
5. Charles Petit (1832-1897), a French sculptor known for his monumental works and sculptures for public spaces.

The surname Petit has also been associated with various place names, such as Petitville in Normandy, Petit-Couronne in Seine-Maritime, and Petit-Réderching in Moselle, France.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Petit

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

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

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

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