Petti last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Petti

An occupational surname derived from the Italian word "petto" meaning "breast" or "chest", likely referring to someone involved in armor-making or tailoring.

Petti, 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 Petti surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Petti in America

Petti is the 16743rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Petti surname appeared 1,708 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 Petti.

We can also compare 2010 data for Petti 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 16743 16694 0.29%
Count 1,708 1,578 7.91%
Proportion per 100k 0.58 0.58 0.00%

The history of the last name Petti

The surname Petti is of Italian origin, and its earliest known roots trace back to the late medieval period in the regions of Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna. The name is believed to have derived from the Italian word "petto," meaning "breast" or "chest," possibly referring to a physical characteristic or occupation associated with the earliest bearers of the name.

One of the earliest documented instances of the surname Petti can be found in the historic records of the city of Florence, dating back to the 13th century. In the 1427 Florentine Catasto (tax census), several individuals with the surname Petti were listed, suggesting the name's established presence in the region.

During the Renaissance era, the Petti family gained prominence in the city of Bologna, where they were known for their involvement in the textile trade. A notable figure from this period was Giovanni Battista Petti (1485-1559), a successful merchant and patron of the arts, who commissioned several works from renowned artists of the time.

In the 17th century, the Petti name appeared in various historical documents across Italy, including the records of the Papal States and the Kingdom of Naples. One prominent individual was Carlo Petti (1612-1679), a renowned architect and engineer who contributed to the design and construction of several notable buildings in Rome, including the Palazzo Pamphilj.

The 18th century saw the Petti family expand their influence beyond Italy, with members settling in other parts of Europe and the Americas. Vincenzo Petti (1742-1818), an Italian-born military officer, served in the Spanish army and participated in various campaigns during the Napoleonic Wars.

In the 19th century, the Petti surname gained recognition in the field of literature with the Italian writer and poet Enrico Petti (1819-1892), whose works explored themes of love, nature, and social commentary.

Throughout history, the surname Petti has been associated with various locations and variations in spelling, such as Petto, Pettini, and Petitti. Notable individuals with the Petti surname include the Italian politician and lawyer Adolfo Petti (1858-1923), the American baseball player Frank Petti (1900-1970), and the Italian architect and urban planner Giancarlo Petti (1916-1995).

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Petti

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

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 Petti was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 92.92% 1,587
Non-Hispanic Black Only 1.41% 24
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 1.00% 17
Hispanic Origin 3.63% 62

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 Petti has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 92.92% 93.41% -0.53%
Black 1.41% 1.46% -3.48%
Asian and Pacific Islander (S)% (S)% (S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)% (S)%
Two or More Races 1.00% 0.89% 11.64%
Hispanic 3.63% 3.61% 0.55%

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

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

Reference this page

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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!

"Petti last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on November 22, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/petti-surname-popularity/.

"Petti last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/petti-surname-popularity/. Accessed 22 November, 2024

Petti last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/petti-surname-popularity/.

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