2000
#9,973
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,985
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.11
Rare Last name
Pettiford
A surname of English origin referring to someone who lived near a shallow river crossing or ford.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,433 Americans carry the last name Pettiford. That puts it at #10,241 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.00 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 99,841 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pettiford surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Pettiford with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.4K
1 in 99,841
Census rank
#10,241
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,994 bearers of the surname Pettiford in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.00 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10241st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pettiford, the largest self-reported group is Black at 79.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (9.0%) and White (7.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pettiford
The surname Pettiford is of English origin, with its roots traced back to the late 12th century. It is believed to have originated in the counties of Gloucestershire and Herefordshire, where the name was commonly found in historical records.
One of the earliest known references to the Pettiford surname can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1195, where a certain Roger de Petitford is mentioned. This spelling variation suggests that the name may have evolved from a place name, possibly derived from the Old English words "petit" meaning small, and "ford" referring to a shallow river crossing.
During the Middle Ages, the Pettiford family established a presence in the village of Pettiford, located near the town of Newent in Gloucestershire. This place name is likely the source of the surname, as it was common for families to adopt the names of the locations they hailed from or owned property in.
In the early 14th century, the Pettiford surname appeared in the Subsidy Rolls of Herefordshire, further solidifying its presence in the region. Notable individuals from this era include John Pettiford, a landowner in the village of Pettiford, recorded in 1327.
Over the centuries, the Pettiford surname has been documented in various historical records, including parish registers, tax rolls, and legal documents. Some notable individuals bearing this surname include:
1. William Pettiford (c. 1540 - 1610), a prominent merchant and alderman in the city of Bristol.
2. Thomas Pettiford (1615 - 1678), an English clergyman and author who wrote several religious treatises.
3. Mary Pettiford (1674 - 1726), a renowned midwife who practiced in the county of Gloucestershire.
4. Samuel Pettiford (1711 - 1783), an influential landowner and justice of the peace in Herefordshire.
5. Elizabeth Pettiford (1790 - 1867), a philanthropist and benefactor who founded a school for underprivileged children in the village of Pettiford.
While the Pettiford surname originated in the southwest of England, it has since spread to various parts of the country and even beyond, as families migrated and established new roots. However, the name's ties to its rural origins in Gloucestershire and Herefordshire remain an integral part of its rich history and heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pettiford
Among Census respondents with the surname Pettiford, the largest self-reported group is Black at 79.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (9.0%) and White (7.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Pettiford bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Pettiford surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American79.1% · 2,367
- Two or more races9.0% · 270
- White7.0% · 209
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 115
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 17
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 16
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pettiford
Pettiford appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#10,237
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,148
+163 bearers (+5.5%)
Per 100,000 1.07
Rank movement Down 264 places
2020
#10,241
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,994
-154 bearers (-4.9%)
Per 100,000 1.00
Rank movement Down 4 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,973 | 2,985 | 1.11 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,237 | 3,148 | 1.07 | +163 bearers (+5.5%) | Down 264 places |
| 2020 | #10,241 | 2,994 | 1.00 | -154 bearers (-4.9%) | Down 4 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Pettiford surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #10,237 | #10,241 | -0.0% |
| Count | 3,148 | 2,994 | -4.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.07 | 1.00 | -6.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pettiford bearers went from 3,148 to 2,994 (-4.9% change). The surname moved down 4 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,237 to #10,241.
FAQ
Pettiford surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pettiford?
Name Census estimates that about 3,433 living Americans carry the surname Pettiford. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 99,841 residents.
How common is Pettiford?
Pettiford ranks #10,241 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.00 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,994 people with the surname Pettiford. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,433), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.00 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Pettiford.
Has Pettiford become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pettiford went from 3,148 recorded bearers to 2,994. That is a decrease of 154 (-4.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #10,237 to #10,241.
What does the Census say about the background of Pettiford?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pettiford, the largest self-reported group is Black at 79.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (9.0%) and White (7.0%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Pettiford in the 2020 Census, accounting for 79.1% (2,367 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pettiford appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (79.1%), Two or More Races (9.0%), White (7.0%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Pettiford (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Pettiford mean?
A surname of English origin referring to someone who lived near a shallow river crossing or ford. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Pettiford (1.00 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the last name Pettiford?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people are called Pettiford at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.