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

Pettibone, 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 Pettibone surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Pettibone in America

Pettibone is the 20971st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Pettibone surname appeared 1,255 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 Pettibone.

We can also compare 2010 data for Pettibone 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 Pettibone

The surname Pettibone traces its origins back to the medieval English language and is thought to have originated in the county of Derbyshire, England, sometime in the 13th or 14th century. It is believed to be a locational surname, derived from a specific place name, most likely a town or village where the earliest bearers of the name resided.

One possibility is that the name is derived from the Old English words "petti" and "bon," which roughly translate to "small" and "bone" or "twig," respectively. This suggests that the name may have originally referred to a settlement or area known for its small, slender trees or twigs, perhaps in a wooded or forested region.

Another theory proposes that the name is a corruption or variation of the place name "Pettingborne" or "Pettingburn," which are found in the county of Kent, England. These place names are thought to derive from the Old English words "petting" (a personal name) and "burna" (a stream or brook), suggesting that the name may have originated from a settlement located near a stream associated with someone named Petting.

The earliest known recorded instance of the Pettibone surname dates back to the 14th century, appearing in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273. This ancient record provides evidence of the name's existence during the medieval period in England.

One notable early bearer of the Pettibone surname was Sir John Pettibone, who lived in the late 15th century and was a prominent landowner in Derbyshire. Historical records indicate that he served as a member of the English Parliament in 1485 and was knighted by King Henry VII for his military service during the Wars of the Roses.

Another individual of note was William Pettibone, a Puritan settler who arrived in the Massachusetts Bay Colony in the early 17th century. He was among the first Pettibone families to establish themselves in the New World and is considered an ancestor of many modern-day Pettibones in North America.

In the 18th century, Sarah Pettibone (1718-1794) was a notable American author and poet from Connecticut. She published a collection of poems titled "The Delights of Fancy" in 1768, which was one of the earliest works of literature written by an American woman.

During the American Revolutionary War, Benjamin Pettibone (1742-1828) served as a lieutenant in the Continental Army and fought in several key battles, including the Battle of Monmouth and the Siege of Yorktown.

In the 19th century, Augustus Pettibone (1805-1882) was a prominent businessman and industrialist from Ohio. He founded the Pettibone Foundry and Machine Company, which became a leading manufacturer of agricultural equipment and machinery during the Industrial Revolution.

These examples illustrate the longstanding presence and historical significance of the Pettibone surname, which has been carried by individuals from various walks of life throughout the centuries, spanning different regions and eras.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Pettibone

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

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

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

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