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

Provitt, 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 Provitt surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Provitt in America

Provitt is the 84463rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Provitt surname appeared 222 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Provitt.

We can also compare 2010 data for Provitt 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 Provitt

The surname Provitt is of English origin and dates back to the late medieval period. It is believed to have originated in the county of Hertfordshire, where it was derived from the Old English word "pro-fitt," which translates to "a person of profit or advantage."

In the 13th century, the name Provitt appeared in local tax records and land registries in the village of Provet, which was located near the town of Watford. The earliest known bearer of the name was Robert de Provett, who was mentioned in the Hertfordshire County Archives in 1275.

During the 16th century, the name Provitt began to spread beyond Hertfordshire to other parts of England. In 1525, a William Provytt was recorded in the Parish Registers of St. Mary's Church in Bristol. The name also appeared in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Returns of 1379, where a John Provyt was listed as a resident of the village of Emley.

One of the earliest documented references to the Provitt name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which recorded a landowner named Ailric Provit in the village of Codicote, Hertfordshire. This entry suggests that the name Provitt may have its roots in the Anglo-Saxon period.

Notable individuals with the surname Provitt include:

1. Sir John Provitt (1585-1649), an English Member of Parliament and landowner from Buckinghamshire.
2. Thomas Provitt (1742-1826), a British naval officer who served during the American Revolutionary War.
3. Elizabeth Provitt (1768-1842), an English writer and poet known for her collection of sonnets titled "Reflections on Nature."
4. Samuel Provitt (1812-1887), a renowned architect from Gloucestershire who designed several churches and public buildings across England.
5. Mary Provitt (1856-1928), a Scottish suffragette and advocate for women's rights, who was involved in the campaign for women's suffrage in the early 20th century.

These are just a few examples of the historical figures who have borne the surname Provitt, which has a rich heritage stretching back to the medieval era in England.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Provitt

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

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

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

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