2000
#12,096
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,366
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.88
Rare Last name
Privette
A diminutive of the Middle English occupational name Privet, referring to a hedge trimmer or gardener.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,764 Americans carry the last name Privette. That puts it at #12,315 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.81 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 124,007 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Privette 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 124,007
Census rank
#12,315
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,410 bearers of the surname Privette in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.81 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12315th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Privette, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.8%. The next largest groups are Black (11.5%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Privette
The surname Privette has its origins in France, dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old French word "privet," meaning a small evergreen shrub or hedge. This connection suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near or tended to such shrubs or hedges.
In the early days, the name was commonly spelled as "Privet" or "Privat," and it was primarily found in the northern regions of France, particularly in Normandy and Brittany. As people migrated and the name spread, various spelling variations emerged, including Privett, Privette, and Privet.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Privet." This historical document, commissioned by William the Conqueror, recorded the names of landowners and their holdings throughout England.
During the 13th century, there are records of a Sir John Privett, a Knight from Gloucestershire, England, who participated in the Crusades. Another notable figure was William Privett, born in 1525, who was a prominent merchant and trader in the city of Bristol, England.
In the 16th century, the name appears in the parish records of the village of Privett in Hampshire, England, which may have been named after an early bearer of the surname or vice versa.
One of the most well-known individuals with this surname was Sir Charles Privette (1643-1711), an English politician and Member of Parliament for Southampton. He was a significant figure during the reign of King William III and played a role in the Glorious Revolution of 1688.
Another notable bearer of the name was John Privette (1787-1856), a renowned English architect who designed several churches and public buildings in London and the surrounding areas.
The Privette surname can also be found in other parts of Europe, such as Germany, where it is sometimes spelled as "Privat" or "Privet." However, it is generally believed that the name originated in France before spreading to other regions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Privette
Among Census respondents with the surname Privette, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.8%. The next largest groups are Black (11.5%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Privette 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 Privette surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White82.8% · 1,995
- Black or African American11.5% · 276
- Two or more races2.9% · 69
- Hispanic or Latino2.3% · 56
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 12
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Privette
Privette 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
#11,899
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,631
+265 bearers (+11.2%)
Per 100,000 0.89
Rank movement Up 197 places
2020
#12,315
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,410
-221 bearers (-8.4%)
Per 100,000 0.81
Rank movement Down 416 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,096 | 2,366 | 0.88 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,899 | 2,631 | 0.89 | +265 bearers (+11.2%) | Up 197 places |
| 2020 | #12,315 | 2,410 | 0.81 | -221 bearers (-8.4%) | Down 416 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 Privette 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 | #11,899 | #12,315 | -3.5% |
| Count | 2,631 | 2,410 | -8.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.89 | 0.81 | -9.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Privette bearers went from 2,631 to 2,410 (-8.4% change). The surname moved down 416 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,899 to #12,315.
FAQ
Privette surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Privette?
Name Census estimates that about 2,764 living Americans carry the surname Privette. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 124,007 residents.
How common is Privette?
Privette ranks #12,315 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.81 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 2,410 people with the surname Privette. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,764), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.81 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.81 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 Privette.
Has Privette become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Privette went from 2,631 recorded bearers to 2,410. That is a decrease of 221 (-8.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #11,899 to #12,315.
What does the Census say about the background of Privette?
Among Census respondents with the surname Privette, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.8%. The next largest groups are Black (11.5%) and Two or More Races (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 Privette in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.8% (1,995 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Privette appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (82.8%), Black (11.5%), Two or More Races (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 Privette (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 Privette mean?
A diminutive of the Middle English occupational name Privet, referring to a hedge trimmer or gardener. 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 Privette (0.81 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 Privette?
Find out how many Americans have the surname Privette on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.