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

Pitts, 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 Pitts surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Pitts in America

Pitts is the 693rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Pitts surname appeared 49,740 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 17 people would have the surname Pitts.

We can also compare 2010 data for Pitts 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 Pitts

The surname Pitts originated in England, with its earliest recorded use dating back to the 13th century. The name is believed to have derived from the Old English word "pytt," meaning a pit or hollow. This could suggest that the name was initially given to people who lived near a pit or worked in pit-related occupations.

Pitts is also thought to have connections to various place names in England, such as Pitt Town in Kent and Pitt Meadows in Surrey. These place names likely influenced the development and spread of the surname.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Pitts can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which listed a John de la Putte. The Domesday Book, compiled in 1086, does not contain the surname Pitts, but it does mention several place names with similar spellings, such as "Pitte" and "Pite."

Notable individuals with the surname Pitts throughout history include William Pitt the Elder (1708-1778), a British statesman who served as Prime Minister of Great Britain, and his son, William Pitt the Younger (1759-1806), who also held the position of Prime Minister. Another prominent figure was Sir Christopher Pitts (1622-1687), an English merchant and politician who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1689.

Other individuals with the surname Pitts include Zion Pitts (1765-1838), an American Baptist minister and educator, and Lizette Woodworth Pitts (1858-1924), an American poet and novelist. Additionally, Joseph Pitts (1663-1735) was an English sailor who was captured by Algerian pirates and later wrote a memoir about his experiences.

While the surname Pitts has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including the United States, Canada, and Australia, due to migration and immigration patterns.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Pitts

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

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

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

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