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

Pettitt, 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 Pettitt surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Pettitt in America

Pettitt is the 15771st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Pettitt surname appeared 1,848 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 Pettitt.

We can also compare 2010 data for Pettitt 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 Pettitt

The surname Pettitt has its origins in England, emerging during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old French personal name "Petit," meaning "small" or "little." This name likely originated as a descriptive nickname for someone of diminutive stature or as a term of endearment.

In the early days of surname formation, it was common for descriptive nicknames and occupational titles to evolve into hereditary surnames. The name Pettitt traces its roots back to the 12th century, with various early spellings such as Petyt, Pettyt, and Pettett.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Pipe Rolls of Leicestershire in 1199, where a Robert Petit is mentioned. The Hundred Rolls of 1273 also make reference to a William Pety in Oxfordshire.

The Domesday Book, the famous survey commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, does not contain any direct references to the surname Pettitt. However, it does include several entries with the surname Le Petit, which is the French equivalent and likely a precursor to the English form.

Notable individuals bearing the surname Pettitt throughout history include:

1. William Pettitt (c. 1565 - 1638), an English clergyman and religious writer who served as the Archdeacon of Grantham.
2. John Pettitt (1613 - 1682), an English physician and author known for his work on child health and midwifery.
3. Thomas Pettitt (1758 - 1831), a British naval officer who served during the American Revolutionary War and the Napoleonic Wars.
4. Charles Pettitt (1799 - 1856), an English architect responsible for designing several notable buildings in London, including the Church of St. Peter in Vauxhall.
5. Henry Pettitt (1848 - 1914), a British painter known for his landscapes and seascapes, many of which depicted scenes from the English countryside.

The surname Pettitt has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Pettitt's Brow in Wiltshire and Pettitt's Farm in Hertfordshire, indicating the presence of families bearing this name in those locations over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Pettitt

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

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

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

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