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

Pettus, 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 Pettus surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Pettus in America

Pettus is the 6520th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Pettus surname appeared 5,204 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 Pettus.

We can also compare 2010 data for Pettus 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 Pettus

The surname Pettus has its origins in the medieval era, emerging from the Anglo-Norman territories of England and France. It is believed to be derived from the Old French word "petit," meaning small or little. This suggests that the name may have initially been a descriptive surname given to someone of diminutive stature or a younger member of a family.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Pettus" in the county of Lincolnshire, England. This reference indicates that the surname was already well-established in the region by the late 11th century.

During the Middle Ages, the name Pettus appeared in various historical records and documents across England. In the 13th century, a certain William Pettus was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire, while a John Pettus was recorded in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1327.

As the centuries progressed, the Pettus family branched out and established roots in different parts of England. One notable bearer of the name was Sir John Pettus (1613-1690), an English politician and Deputy Governor of the Royal African Company. He served as a Member of Parliament for several constituencies, including Norfolk and Hastings.

Another prominent figure was Sir Silius Pettus (1676-1746), an English landowner and Member of Parliament for Malmesbury and Westbury. He was also a Fellow of the Royal Society and made significant contributions to the fields of agriculture and horticulture.

In the 18th century, Thomas Pettus (1737-1806) gained recognition as a renowned English antiquarian and topographer. He authored several works on the history and antiquities of various counties in England, including Norfolk and Suffolk.

Across the Atlantic, the name Pettus also took root in the American colonies. One of the earliest recorded instances was that of Thomas Pettus (1626-1672), who settled in Virginia in the mid-17th century and became a prominent planter and landowner.

Another notable American bearer of the name was Edmund Pettus (1821-1907), a Confederate General during the American Civil War and later a U.S. Senator from Alabama. He is perhaps best known for his role in the infamous "Bloody Sunday" march in Selma, Alabama, in 1965, during the Civil Rights Movement.

These are just a few examples of the rich history and notable individuals associated with the surname Pettus, which has left an indelible mark on both British and American history over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Pettus

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

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

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

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