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

Petitt, 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 Petitt surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Petitt in America

Petitt is the 11679th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Petitt surname appeared 2,684 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 Petitt.

We can also compare 2010 data for Petitt 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 Petitt

The surname Petitt is of French origin, derived from the Old French word "petit," meaning "small" or "little." It is believed to have emerged as a descriptive nickname for someone of short stature or a younger son or child.

The earliest known record of the Petitt surname can be traced back to the 12th century in Normandy, France. The name appeared in various spellings, such as Petit, Petitt, Pettit, and Pettitt, reflecting the variations in pronunciation and spelling during that time.

One of the earliest documented instances of the Petitt surname can be found in the Domesday Book, a medieval census commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name is listed as "Petitus" in the records, indicating its presence in England shortly after the Norman Conquest.

In the 13th century, the Petitt surname was recorded in the Hundred Rolls, a census of landowners in England. This suggests that the family had established themselves as landowners and members of the gentry during this period.

Notable individuals with the Petitt surname include Sir William Petitt (1609-1677), an English politician and member of Parliament during the English Civil War. Another prominent figure was John Petitt (1765-1842), an American frontiersman and pioneer who played a significant role in the settlement of the Ohio Valley region.

Other historical figures bearing the Petitt surname include:

1. Thomas Petitt (1614-1689), an English clergyman and author known for his religious works.
2. Mary Petitt (1723-1795), a Scottish artist renowned for her portraiture and landscape paintings.
3. James Petitt (1780-1856), an American military officer who served in the War of 1812.
4. Charles Petitt (1864-1923), a British architect responsible for designing several notable buildings in London.
5. Edith Petitt (1902-1987), an American author and playwright who contributed to the Harlem Renaissance literary movement.

The Petitt surname has also been associated with various place names, such as Petit-Couronne in Normandy, France, and Petitville in New York, United States, which were likely named after individuals or families bearing the Petitt name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Petitt

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!