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

Pettis, 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 Pettis surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Pettis in America

Pettis is the 4807th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Pettis surname appeared 7,354 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Pettis.

We can also compare 2010 data for Pettis 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 Pettis

The surname Pettis is of English origin and can be traced back to the late 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the old English word "petit," meaning small or little. The name was initially used as a nickname for a small or diminutive person.

In medieval times, surnames were often given as descriptive nicknames based on a person's physical appearance, occupation, or place of origin. The Pettis surname likely originated in this manner, referring to someone of small stature.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Pettis can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Northamptonshire from 1195, which mention a person named Petitus. This early spelling variation highlights the evolution of the name over time.

The Pettis surname has also been linked to various place names in England, such as Pettysworth in Gloucestershire and Petwood in Staffordshire. These place names may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname in certain regions.

Historically, the Pettis name has been associated with several notable individuals. One such example is Sir John Pettis (c. 1550-1614), an English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Shaftesbury in 1593.

Another noteworthy figure was William Pettis (1608-1668), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Master of Caius College, Cambridge, from 1649 until his death.

In the literary world, Mary Pettis (1623-1678) was an English poet and translator who published works during the 17th century. Her most well-known work was a collection of poems titled "Virgil's Eclogues and Georgics."

Across the Atlantic, one of the earliest recorded instances of the Pettis surname in America was John Pettis, who arrived in Virginia in 1623 as an indentured servant.

Additionally, Thomas Pettis (1776-1851) was an American lawyer and politician who served as a U.S. Representative from Virginia from 1829 to 1835.

Throughout history, the Pettis surname has undergone various spelling variations, including Pettus, Petteys, Petteys, and Petty, reflecting regional differences and linguistic influences.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Pettis

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

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

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

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