2000
#10,779
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,717
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.01
Rare Last name
Pittenger
An English occupational surname referring to a painter or someone who applies pitch or tar.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,757 Americans carry the last name Pittenger. That puts it at #12,339 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.80 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 124,321 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pittenger 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.
Bearers in the US
2.8K
1 in 124,321
Census rank
#12,339
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,404 bearers of the surname Pittenger in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.80 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12339th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pittenger, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.2%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pittenger
The surname Pittenger is believed to have originated in Germany, likely derived from the German word "Bittinger," which itself is thought to come from the Middle High German word "bittingeære," meaning "petitioner" or "one who asks for favors." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who was a beggar or someone who relied on the charity of others.
The earliest recorded instances of the name date back to the 13th century in various regions of present-day Germany. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Johannes Pittenger, who was mentioned in a historical document from the city of Cologne in 1287.
Over time, the name spread to other parts of Europe, and different spellings emerged, such as Pettinger, Pittinger, and Pittinger. It is worth noting that many surnames were derived from occupations or personal characteristics during the Middle Ages, and the name Pittenger may have followed a similar pattern.
In the 16th century, the name appeared in England, likely brought over by German immigrants. One notable individual from this period was William Pittenger, who was born in London in 1542 and served as a merchant and alderman in the city.
As the centuries progressed, the Pittenger name continued to spread across Europe and eventually to other parts of the world, including the United States. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name in America was that of Johannes Pittenger, who arrived in Pennsylvania from Germany in 1732.
Several notable individuals have borne the Pittenger surname throughout history. These include:
1. William Pittenger (1832-1904), an American soldier who was one of the famous Andrews Raiders during the American Civil War.
2. Marjorie Pittenger (1907-1986), an American artist and illustrator known for her work in children's books.
3. Benjamin F. Pittenger (1822-1910), an American politician and lawyer who served as a U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania.
4. John Pittenger (1745-1815), an American Revolutionary War soldier and pioneer who helped settle parts of Ohio.
5. John Pittenger (1797-1870), an American businessman and banker who co-founded the Pittenger & Roberts Stove Company in Philadelphia.
While the name Pittenger may have humble origins, it has since been borne by individuals from various walks of life, contributing to the rich tapestry of history and culture across different regions and time periods.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pittenger
Among Census respondents with the surname Pittenger, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.2%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Pittenger 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 Pittenger surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.0% · 2,235
- Two or more races3.2% · 78
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 68
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 18
- Black or African American0.2% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pittenger
Pittenger 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
#11,163
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,834
+117 bearers (+4.3%)
Per 100,000 0.96
Rank movement Down 384 places
2020
#12,339
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,404
-430 bearers (-15.2%)
Per 100,000 0.80
Rank movement Down 1,176 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,779 | 2,717 | 1.01 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,163 | 2,834 | 0.96 | +117 bearers (+4.3%) | Down 384 places |
| 2020 | #12,339 | 2,404 | 0.80 | -430 bearers (-15.2%) | Down 1,176 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 Pittenger 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 | #11,163 | #12,339 | -10.5% |
| Count | 2,834 | 2,404 | -15.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.96 | 0.80 | -16.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pittenger bearers went from 2,834 to 2,404 (-15.2% change). The surname moved down 1,176 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,163 to #12,339.
FAQ
Pittenger surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pittenger?
Name Census estimates that about 2,757 living Americans carry the surname Pittenger. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 124,321 residents.
How common is Pittenger?
Pittenger ranks #12,339 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.80 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,404 people with the surname Pittenger. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,757), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.8 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.80 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Pittenger.
Has Pittenger become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pittenger went from 2,834 recorded bearers to 2,404. That is a decrease of 430 (-15.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #11,163 to #12,339.
What does the Census say about the background of Pittenger?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pittenger, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.2%) and Hispanic (2.8%). 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 Pittenger in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.0% (2,235 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pittenger appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.0%), Two or More Races (3.2%), Hispanic (2.8%). 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 Pittenger (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 Pittenger mean?
An English occupational surname referring to a painter or someone who applies pitch or tar. 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 Pittenger (0.80 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 many people share the surname Pittenger?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.