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

Pettengill, 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 Pettengill surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Pettengill in America

Pettengill is the 13781st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Pettengill surname appeared 2,195 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 Pettengill.

We can also compare 2010 data for Pettengill 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 Pettengill

The surname Pettengill is of English origin and dates back to the 12th century. It is believed to have originated from a place name, possibly derived from the Old English words "piet" meaning a small piece of land and "engel" meaning a meadow or pasture. Thus, Pettengill likely referred to someone who lived near a small meadow or pasture.

The earliest recorded spelling of the name appears to be Petingill in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire in 1175. Over time, variations in spelling emerged, such as Pettengell, Pettingill, and Pettingale. These variations were common due to inconsistent spelling practices and regional dialects in medieval times.

In the Domesday Book, a record of landholders in England compiled in 1086, there are no direct references to the name Pettengill or its variants. However, the book does mention various place names containing the root words "piet" and "engel," which could have influenced the development of the surname.

One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Pettengill was John Pettingill, who was born around 1550 in Staffordshire, England. Another notable figure was Robert Pettengell, a merchant and shipowner from Devon, England, who lived from 1625 to 1688.

In the 17th century, several members of the Pettengill family emigrated from England to the American colonies. One of the earliest recorded arrivals was Richard Pettengill, who settled in Salem, Massachusetts, in 1638. Another early settler was Nathaniel Pettengill, who arrived in New England in the 1660s.

Other notable individuals with the surname Pettengill throughout history include:

1. John Pettengill (1815-1887), an American politician and lawyer from New Hampshire.
2. Samuel Pettengill (1786-1870), an American clergyman and author from Connecticut.
3. William Pettengill (1716-1793), a military officer and landowner from Massachusetts.
4. Thomas Pettengill (1665-1726), an early settler and landowner in New Hampshire.
5. Mary Pettengill (1703-1785), a prominent Quaker minister and abolitionist from Rhode Island.

The surname Pettengill has been prominent in various regions of England and the United States, with many individuals contributing to the cultural, religious, and political fabric of their respective communities.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Pettengill

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

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

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

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