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

Pritchett, 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 Pritchett surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Pritchett in America

Pritchett is the 1856th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Pritchett surname appeared 19,334 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 7 people would have the surname Pritchett.

We can also compare 2010 data for Pritchett 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 Pritchett

The surname Pritchett originated in England during the medieval period. It is derived from an occupational name, referring to someone who made or sold arrows or bolts, known as a "pritch" or "pritch-maker." The earliest known spelling of the name was "Prichet," which was recorded in the Pipe Rolls of Worcestershire in 1275.

The name is believed to have originated in the counties of Worcestershire and Gloucestershire, where the arrow-making trade was prevalent. Over time, the name evolved into various spellings such as Prichet, Prickett, Pritchett, and Pritchet.

One of the earliest recorded references to the name can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327, where a John Prichet is mentioned. Another early record is the Lay Subsidy Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1380, which lists a William Prichet.

In the 15th century, the name appeared in various historical documents, including the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1428, which mentions a John Prichet, and the Feet of Fines for Suffolk in 1486, where a Thomas Prichet is recorded.

Notable individuals with the surname Pritchett throughout history include:

1. Sir William Pritchett (1642-1705), an English lawyer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Bedfordshire.

2. Henry Pritchett (1857-1939), an American astronomer and educator who served as the president of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) from 1900 to 1907.

3. V.S. Pritchett (1900-1997), a British writer and literary critic known for his short stories and memoirs, such as "A Cab at the Door" and "Midnight Oil."

4. Frances Pritchett (1913-2001), an American mathematician and computer scientist who made significant contributions to the development of early computers and programming languages.

5. Robert Pritchett (1828-1907), an English architect and civil engineer who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Royal Albert Hall.

The surname Pritchett has a rich history deeply rooted in the medieval English trades and occupations. While its origins trace back to the arrow-making industry, the name has since been carried by various individuals across different fields and professions throughout the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Pritchett

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

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

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

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