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

Pettway, 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 Pettway surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Pettway in America

Pettway is the 6976th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Pettway surname appeared 4,807 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 Pettway.

We can also compare 2010 data for Pettway 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 Pettway

The surname Pettway is believed to have originated in England, with its roots traced back to the 16th century. The name is thought to be derived from a combination of two old English words, "pett" and "weg," which together mean "a small path or way."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Pettway can be found in the parish records of St. Mary's Church in Warwick, England, where a family by the name of Pettway was mentioned in the late 1500s. It is possible that the name was initially associated with a particular location or a specific occupation related to pathways or roads.

During the 17th century, several variations of the name, such as Petteway, Petway, and Pettaway, appeared in various historical documents and records across different parts of England. This suggests that the name had spread and evolved over time.

One notable individual with the surname Pettway was Sir Thomas Pettway, a prominent landowner and member of the English gentry who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. He owned extensive estates in Wiltshire and played a role in local politics and governance.

Another individual of note was John Pettway, a merchant and ship owner from Bristol, England, who lived in the late 17th century. He was involved in the thriving trade between England and the American colonies, and his ships sailed regularly across the Atlantic.

In the 18th century, the name Pettway appeared in several historical records related to the British colonization of North America. One such instance was the arrival of William Pettway, a farmer from Gloucestershire, England, who immigrated to Virginia in the 1720s and established a homestead there.

Moving into the 19th century, the name Pettway became more widely dispersed across different regions of the United States. One notable figure was Sarah Pettway, a former slave who gained her freedom and became a successful businesswoman and landowner in Alabama in the mid-1800s.

Another individual of significance was Reverend Samuel Pettway, a Baptist minister and civil rights activist from Mississippi, who played a prominent role in the African American struggle for equality and justice during the 1950s and 1960s.

While the surname Pettway may have evolved over time and spread across different parts of the world, its origins can be traced back to England, where it emerged as a descriptive name associated with pathways or roads.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Pettway

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

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

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

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