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

Pirtle, 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 Pirtle surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Pirtle in America

Pirtle is the 6400th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Pirtle surname appeared 5,315 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 Pirtle.

We can also compare 2010 data for Pirtle 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 Pirtle

The surname Pirtle is believed to have originated in England, specifically in the county of Worcestershire. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "pyri" meaning pear tree and "hyll" meaning hill, suggesting that the name may have referred to someone who lived near a pear tree on a hill.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Pirtle can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Piritehyll." This entry suggests that the name was already in use by the late 11th century.

In the 13th century, various spellings of the name appeared in historical records, including "Piritel," "Pyritell," and "Piritil." These variations likely arose due to regional dialects and the inconsistencies in spelling during that time period.

One notable individual with the surname Pirtle was Sir John Pirtle, a knight who lived in the late 14th century. He was known for his service in the Hundred Years' War and was mentioned in several chronicles of the time.

During the 16th century, the name Pirtle was particularly prevalent in the village of Pirton, located in Worcestershire. This place name is believed to have derived from the same Old English roots as the surname, further solidifying the connection between the name and the region.

In the 17th century, a family of Pirtles resided in the town of Evesham, also in Worcestershire. One member of this family, Thomas Pirtle (1620-1698), was a prominent merchant and landowner in the area.

Another notable figure with the surname Pirtle was William Pirtle (1765-1845), an American pioneer and soldier who fought in the Revolutionary War. He later settled in Kentucky and played a significant role in the early development of the state.

Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, the Pirtle name continued to be found in various parts of England, particularly in the counties of Worcestershire, Gloucestershire, and Herefordshire. Some individuals with this surname also immigrated to other parts of the world, including the United States and Canada.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Pirtle

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

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

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

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