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

Pitcher, 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 Pitcher surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Pitcher in America

Pitcher is the 5539th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Pitcher surname appeared 6,272 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 Pitcher.

We can also compare 2010 data for Pitcher 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 Pitcher

The surname Pitcher is believed to have originated in England, likely during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "pycere," which referred to a maker or seller of pitch, a sticky substance obtained from the residue of tar distillation. Pitch was widely used for waterproofing and caulking ships, barrels, and roofs.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire from 1195, which mention a William le Pychere. The name is also present in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1279, where it appears as Reginald le Pychur.

The Pitcher surname is believed to have originated in areas with a strong shipbuilding or woodworking industry, where pitch was in high demand. Places like Norfolk, Suffolk, and Kent were likely the initial strongholds of the name.

In the 14th century, the surname appeared in various spellings, including Picher, Pychere, and Pytchour, reflecting the variations in pronunciation and spelling during that time period.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was John Pitcher, a merchant from London who lived in the late 14th century. Another notable figure was Sir Edward Pitcher, a Member of Parliament for Sandwich, Kent, in the early 17th century.

During the English Civil War in the 17th century, a certain Robert Pitcher served as a captain in the Parliamentary forces under Oliver Cromwell. His exploits are recorded in several contemporary accounts of the conflict.

In the 18th century, the name gained prominence with the birth of Nathaniel Pitcher (1777-1836), a prominent British writer and satirist known for his biting political commentary.

Another individual of note was Henry Pitcher (1824-1895), a successful businessman and philanthropist who made significant contributions to the development of his hometown of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands.

As the centuries progressed, the Pitcher surname spread across various parts of the British Isles and eventually to other regions of the world through migration and colonization.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Pitcher

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

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

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

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