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

Pettigrew, 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 Pettigrew surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Pettigrew in America

Pettigrew is the 4458th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Pettigrew surname appeared 7,958 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Pettigrew.

We can also compare 2010 data for Pettigrew 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 Pettigrew

The surname Pettigrew is of English origin, deriving from the Old English words "petit" meaning small or little, and "greve" meaning grove or thicket. It is believed to have originated in the early medieval period, possibly as a habitational name for someone who lived near a small grove or wooded area.

The earliest recorded spelling of the name appears to be Pettigrew in the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire from 1273. This suggests the name was already well-established in parts of England by the 13th century. Other early variations include Petygrue, Petigrew, and Petigrow.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, there are several entries that may be related to the name, such as references to places called "Pettegrave" and "Pettigrava" in various counties. These place names could have influenced the development of the surname Pettigrew.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Pettigrew was John Pettigrew, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Lancashire in 1292. Another early bearer of the name was William Pettigrew, listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327.

Historically notable individuals with the surname Pettigrew include:

1. Thomas Pettigrew (1791-1865), an English surgeon and antiquary who wrote several works on ancient archaeology and history.

2. James Pettigrew (1834-1908), an American Confederate general during the American Civil War, known for his role in the Battle of Gettysburg.

3. William Andrew Pettigrew (1854-1938), a Scottish-born Australian politician who served as a member of the Parliament of Western Australia.

4. William Pettigrew (1864-1926), a Scottish-born American politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from West Virginia.

5. James Bell Pettigrew (1834-1863), an American Confederate general who was mortally wounded at the Battle of Falling Waters during the American Civil War.

The surname Pettigrew has been present in various regions of the United Kingdom, including England, Scotland, and Ireland, as well as in other parts of the world where English settlers and immigrants have established communities.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Pettigrew

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

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

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

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