2000
#28,326
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 794
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.29
Very Rare Last name
Pitney
A surname derived from a location name meaning "small meadow" or "clearing".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 951 Americans carry the last name Pitney. That puts it at #30,224 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.28 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 360,415 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pitney 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Pitney with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
951
1 in 360,415
Census rank
#30,224
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
829
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 829 bearers of the surname Pitney in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.28 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 30224th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pitney, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.7%. The next largest groups are Black (8.7%) and Two or More Races (4.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pitney
The surname Pitney is believed to have originated in England, with its roots tracing back to the Anglo-Saxon period. The name is thought to derive from the Old English word "pyt," meaning a pit or a small hole in the ground. Additionally, it may have connections to the Old English word "pyt-ney," which referred to a person who lived near a pit or a small valley.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Pitney can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land and property ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The Domesday Book mentions several individuals with the surname Pitney or similar spellings, suggesting that the name was already in use during the 11th century.
In the medieval period, the name Pitney was commonly found in various parts of England, particularly in the counties of Somerset, Wiltshire, and Dorset. This may indicate that the name had its origins in these regions, potentially related to specific place names or geographical features.
One notable individual bearing the surname Pitney was Sir John Pitney (circa 1380-1453), a prominent English landowner and Member of Parliament. He was a significant figure in the county of Somerset and held various positions of authority, including Sheriff of Somerset and Dorset.
Another historical figure with the surname Pitney was William Pitney (1637-1694), an English clergyman and author. He served as the rector of Doulting in Somerset and published several religious works during his lifetime.
In the 18th century, Samuel Pitney (1707-1784) was a prominent lawyer and judge in colonial America. He served as a justice of the Supreme Court of New Jersey and was known for his expertise in legal matters.
Moving into the 19th century, John Pitney (1786-1856) was an English clergyman and author who wrote several works on theology and church history. He served as the rector of St. Bartholomew's Church in Twickenham, Middlesex.
Lastly, Joseph Pitney (1870-1949) was an American lawyer and jurist who served as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1912 to 1922. He was nominated to the court by President William Howard Taft and made significant contributions to various legal decisions during his tenure.
Throughout its history, the surname Pitney has appeared in various spellings, such as Pittney, Pittney, and Pyttney, reflecting the evolution of language and regional variations in pronunciation and spelling. Despite these variations, the name has maintained its distinct identity and continues to be associated with its English origins and connections to place names and geographical features.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pitney
Among Census respondents with the surname Pitney, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.7%. The next largest groups are Black (8.7%) and Two or More Races (4.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Pitney 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 Pitney surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White81.7% · 677
- Black or African American8.7% · 72
- Two or more races4.8% · 40
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 29
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.2% · 10
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pitney
Pitney 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
#28,437
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 839
+45 bearers (+5.7%)
Per 100,000 0.28
Rank movement Down 111 places
2020
#30,224
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 829
-10 bearers (-1.2%)
Per 100,000 0.28
Rank movement Down 1,787 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #28,326 | 794 | 0.29 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #28,437 | 839 | 0.28 | +45 bearers (+5.7%) | Down 111 places |
| 2020 | #30,224 | 829 | 0.28 | -10 bearers (-1.2%) | Down 1,787 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 Pitney 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 | #28,437 | #30,224 | -6.3% |
| Count | 839 | 829 | -1.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.28 | 0.28 | -0.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pitney bearers went from 839 to 829 (-1.2% change). The surname moved down 1,787 positions in the national ranking, going from #28,437 to #30,224.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Pitney
FAQ
Pitney surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pitney?
Name Census estimates that about 951 living Americans carry the surname Pitney. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 360,415 residents.
How common is Pitney?
Pitney ranks #30,224 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.28 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 829 people with the surname Pitney. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (951), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.28 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.28 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Pitney.
Has Pitney become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pitney went from 839 recorded bearers to 829. That is a decrease of 10 (-1.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #28,437 to #30,224.
What does the Census say about the background of Pitney?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pitney, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.7%. The next largest groups are Black (8.7%) and Two or More Races (4.8%). 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 Pitney in the 2020 Census, accounting for 81.7% (677 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pitney appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (81.7%), Black (8.7%), Two or More Races (4.8%). 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 Pitney (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 Pitney mean?
A surname derived from a location name meaning "small meadow" or "clearing". 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 Pitney (0.28 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 common is the surname Pitney?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the surname Pitney at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.