2000
#8,901
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,382
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.25
Rare Last name
Privett
Derived from a place name meaning "the priest's land," or from the Old English for "private land."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,541 Americans carry the last name Privett. That puts it at #9,972 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 96,796 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Privett 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 Privett with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.5K
1 in 96,796
Census rank
#9,972
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,088 bearers of the surname Privett in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9972nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Privett, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Privett
The surname Privett is believed to have originated in England during the late medieval period, likely derived from the Old English words "privet" or "pryvet," which referred to the evergreen shrub known as privet. This surname may have initially been given as a descriptive nickname to someone who lived near a privet hedge or who worked with privet plants.
The earliest recorded instance of the Privett surname dates back to the 13th century, with references appearing in various historical documents from that time. One notable mention is found in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1296, which lists a Thomas Pryvet among the taxpayers.
In the 14th century, the Privett surname continued to appear in records across various regions of England. The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, which documented landowners and their holdings, mention a John Pryvet in Bedfordshire. Similarly, the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire from 1349 record a Adam Privett among the tenants.
During the 15th and 16th centuries, the Privett surname became more widespread, with several notable individuals bearing the name. In 1462, a William Privett was recorded as a merchant in the city of London. Additionally, the Parish Registers of Wiltshire from the 16th century mention a Thomas Privett, born in 1584, who was a prominent landowner in the area.
The 17th century saw the rise of several notable figures with the Privett surname. One such individual was John Privett (1620-1679), a renowned architect and surveyor who contributed to the rebuilding efforts in London following the Great Fire of 1666. Another prominent figure was William Privett (1638-1712), a scholar and clergyman who served as the Vicar of St. Mary's Church in Warwickshire.
In the 18th century, the Privett surname continued to be associated with various professions and trades. For instance, Samuel Privett (1721-1793) was a respected blacksmith and metalworker in the town of Shrewsbury, while James Privett (1754-1832) was a successful merchant and trader based in Bristol.
Notably, the Privett surname has also been linked to several place names throughout England. For example, the village of Privett in Hampshire is believed to have derived its name from the surname, suggesting that the Privett family may have once held land or resided in that area.
Throughout history, the Privett surname has undergone various spelling variations, including Privitt, Privit, Pryvett, and Pryvet, among others. These variations often reflect regional dialects and the inconsistencies in record-keeping during earlier periods.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Privett
Among Census respondents with the surname Privett, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Privett 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 Privett surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.2% · 2,785
- Two or more races3.5% · 108
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 91
- Black or African American2.5% · 76
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 18
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 10
Timeline
Historical Census data for Privett
Privett 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
#9,117
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,583
+201 bearers (+5.9%)
Per 100,000 1.21
Rank movement Down 216 places
2020
#9,972
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,088
-495 bearers (-13.8%)
Per 100,000 1.03
Rank movement Down 855 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,901 | 3,382 | 1.25 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,117 | 3,583 | 1.21 | +201 bearers (+5.9%) | Down 216 places |
| 2020 | #9,972 | 3,088 | 1.03 | -495 bearers (-13.8%) | Down 855 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 Privett 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 | #9,117 | #9,972 | -9.4% |
| Count | 3,583 | 3,088 | -13.8% |
| Per 100K | 1.21 | 1.03 | -14.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Privett bearers went from 3,583 to 3,088 (-13.8% change). The surname moved down 855 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,117 to #9,972.
FAQ
Privett surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Privett?
Name Census estimates that about 3,541 living Americans carry the surname Privett. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 96,796 residents.
How common is Privett?
Privett ranks #9,972 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.03 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 3,088 people with the surname Privett. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,541), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.03 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 Privett.
Has Privett become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Privett went from 3,583 recorded bearers to 3,088. That is a decrease of 495 (-13.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,117 to #9,972.
What does the Census say about the background of Privett?
Among Census respondents with the surname Privett, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (2.9%). 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 Privett in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.2% (2,785 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Privett appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.2%), Two or More Races (3.5%), Hispanic (2.9%). 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 Privett (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 Privett mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "the priest's land," or from the Old English for "private land." 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 Privett (1.03 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 have the surname Privett?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.