2000
#12,443
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,288
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.85
Rare Last name
Pettyjohn
A variant of Pettijohn, likely referring to a person considered small in stature, from the French "petit Jean" meaning "little John".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,436 Americans carry the last name Pettyjohn. That puts it at #13,660 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.71 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 140,704 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pettyjohn surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
2.4K
1 in 140,704
Census rank
#13,660
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,124 bearers of the surname Pettyjohn in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.71 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13660th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pettyjohn, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.1%. The next largest groups are Black (8.7%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pettyjohn
The surname Pettyjohn has its origins in England, dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to be a locational name, derived from a place called Petty or Petit in the counties of Shropshire or Staffordshire. The name is thought to be derived from the Old French word "petit," meaning small or little.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundredorum Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, where it appears as "Walter le Petyt." This spelling variation suggests that the name was originally a descriptive nickname before becoming a hereditary surname.
In the 14th century, the name appears in various records, including the Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire from 1379, where it is spelled "Petyjohn." This spelling indicates that the name had evolved to incorporate the personal name "John" by that time.
One notable early bearer of the name was John Pettyjohn, who was listed in the Register of the Gild of the Holy Cross in Stratford-upon-Avon in 1392. This record provides evidence of the surname's presence in the West Midlands region of England during the late medieval period.
In the 16th century, the name is found in the Subsidy Rolls of Staffordshire from 1524, where it appears as "Pettyjohn." This spelling remained consistent throughout the following centuries.
Among the notable individuals with the surname Pettyjohn is Sir John Pettyjohn (1590-1667), a prominent English merchant and Member of Parliament for the City of London during the reign of Charles I. He played a significant role in the English Civil War and was a staunch supporter of the Parliamentary cause.
Another notable figure was William Pettyjohn (1701-1778), a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the 18th century. He participated in several important battles, including the Battle of Quiberon Bay in 1759.
In the 19th century, the name is associated with Reverend Thomas Pettyjohn (1815-1892), an influential Methodist minister in the United States. He played a crucial role in the establishment of several churches and educational institutions in the state of Ohio.
Elizabeth Pettyjohn (1867-1951) was a notable American educator and social reformer. She dedicated her life to improving educational opportunities for underprivileged children and advocating for women's rights.
Another prominent figure was Sir William Pettyjohn (1921-2003), a British military officer and diplomat. He served in various capacities, including as the Governor of the Falkland Islands from 1977 to 1980.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pettyjohn
Among Census respondents with the surname Pettyjohn, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.1%. The next largest groups are Black (8.7%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Pettyjohn bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Pettyjohn surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White83.1% · 1,764
- Black or African American8.7% · 185
- Two or more races4.4% · 93
- Hispanic or Latino2.3% · 49
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 17
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 16
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pettyjohn
Pettyjohn appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#13,165
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,323
+35 bearers (+1.5%)
Per 100,000 0.79
Rank movement Down 722 places
2020
#13,660
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,124
-199 bearers (-8.6%)
Per 100,000 0.71
Rank movement Down 495 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,443 | 2,288 | 0.85 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,165 | 2,323 | 0.79 | +35 bearers (+1.5%) | Down 722 places |
| 2020 | #13,660 | 2,124 | 0.71 | -199 bearers (-8.6%) | Down 495 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Pettyjohn surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #13,165 | #13,660 | -3.8% |
| Count | 2,323 | 2,124 | -8.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.79 | 0.71 | -10.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pettyjohn bearers went from 2,323 to 2,124 (-8.6% change). The surname moved down 495 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,165 to #13,660.
FAQ
Pettyjohn surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pettyjohn?
Name Census estimates that about 2,436 living Americans carry the surname Pettyjohn. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 140,704 residents.
How common is Pettyjohn?
Pettyjohn ranks #13,660 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.71 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,124 people with the surname Pettyjohn. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,436), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.71 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.71 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Pettyjohn.
Has Pettyjohn become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pettyjohn went from 2,323 recorded bearers to 2,124. That is a decrease of 199 (-8.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #13,165 to #13,660.
What does the Census say about the background of Pettyjohn?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pettyjohn, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.1%. The next largest groups are Black (8.7%) and Two or More Races (4.4%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Pettyjohn in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.1% (1,764 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pettyjohn appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (83.1%), Black (8.7%), Two or More Races (4.4%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Pettyjohn (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Pettyjohn mean?
A variant of Pettijohn, likely referring to a person considered small in stature, from the French "petit Jean" meaning "little John". The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Pettyjohn (0.71 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people are called Pettyjohn?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the surname Pettyjohn on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.