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

Pitman, 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 Pitman surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Pitman in America

Pitman is the 4549th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Pitman surname appeared 7,789 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 Pitman.

We can also compare 2010 data for Pitman 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 Pitman

The surname "Pitman" is of English origin and can be traced back to the early Middle Ages. It is an occupational surname, derived from the Middle English word "pitte," meaning a hole or pit, and the word "man," referring to a person who worked in or around pits.

During the medieval period, many people were identified by their occupations, and the name "Pitman" likely referred to individuals who worked in the extraction of minerals, such as coal, iron ore, or salt, from underground pits or mines. These early pitmen played a crucial role in the developing mining industry, which was a significant part of the economy in certain regions of England.

One of the earliest known references to the name "Pitman" can be found in the records of the Exchequer Rolls of Yorkshire, dated 1379, which mention a John Pitman. This suggests that the name was already in use by the late 14th century.

Over time, the name became particularly prevalent in the coal mining regions of northeastern England, such as Durham and Northumberland. The Durham Miners' Association, formed in 1869, played a significant role in the history of the pitmen and their communities.

Notable individuals with the surname "Pitman" include:

1. Sir Isaac Pitman (1813-1897), an English teacher and inventor of the Pitman shorthand system, which revolutionized the way written notes were taken.
2. Benn Pitman (1822-1910), an American artist and advocate of spelling reform, who developed the Pitman-Howard Phonotypic Alphabet.
3. Walter Pitman (1923-2018), a Canadian journalist and politician who served as a Member of Parliament and later became a Senator.
4. Richard Pitman (1939-2003), a British jockey and racehorse trainer who won numerous prestigious races, including the Cheltenham Gold Cup.
5. Mark Pitman (born 1968), an American baseball player who played for several Major League Baseball teams, including the Boston Red Sox and the Milwaukee Brewers.

The name "Pitman" has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Pitman's Compound in Somerset and Pitman's Cross in Kent, further reflecting the historical significance and distribution of this occupational surname.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Pitman

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

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

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

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