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

Piatt, 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 Piatt surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Piatt in America

Piatt is the 4746th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Piatt surname appeared 7,463 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Piatt.

We can also compare 2010 data for Piatt 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 Piatt

The surname Piatt is believed to have originated in England in the early medieval period, likely derived from the Old English word "pyt," meaning a pit or hollow. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near a pit or worked as a pit-maker or digger.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is spelled "Piet." This entry is from Essex, indicating that the name may have been particularly common in that region during the Norman period.

By the 13th century, the surname had evolved into various spellings, such as Pyatt, Pyott, and Piot. These variants were found in historical records from counties like Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, and Wiltshire, suggesting a wider geographic distribution.

One notable early bearer of the name was John Pyatt, a prominent merchant and alderman in the city of London during the 14th century. He is recorded in the city's archives as having served as the Mayor of London in 1372.

In the 16th century, the name appears to have been associated with the village of Pyatt's Green in Oxfordshire, which may have derived its name from an early inhabitant or landowner bearing the Piatt surname.

Another individual of note was Sir Henry Piatt (1588-1657), an English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Wiltshire during the reign of King Charles I.

During the 17th century, the Piatt surname also found its way to the American colonies. One of the earliest recorded instances is that of Richard Piatt, who arrived in Virginia from England in 1635.

In the 18th century, Jacob Piatt (1756-1834) was a notable figure in the early history of the United States. He served as a soldier in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War and later became a prominent landowner and farmer in Ohio.

Another significant bearer of the name was John James Piatt (1835-1917), an American poet and journalist who was part of the literary movement known as the "Fireside Poets." He published numerous collections of poetry and was also a respected critic and editor.

Throughout its history, the Piatt surname has been associated with various professions, including merchants, politicians, landowners, soldiers, and literary figures, reflecting the diverse paths taken by its bearers over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Piatt

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

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

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

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