2000
#10,615
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,770
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.03
Rare Last name
Pyatt
Derived from a place name meaning "hawk's nesting place" in Old English, originating in Somerset, England.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,210 Americans carry the last name Pyatt. That puts it at #10,874 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.94 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 106,777 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pyatt 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 Pyatt with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.2K
1 in 106,777
Census rank
#10,874
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,799 bearers of the surname Pyatt in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.94 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10874th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pyatt, the largest self-reported group is White at 70.1%. The next largest groups are Black (21.0%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pyatt
The surname Pyatt is believed to have originated in England, with its roots dating back to the 12th century. It is thought to be a variant of the Old French name Piart or Piert, which itself derived from the Latin name Petrus, meaning "rock" or "stone."
The earliest recorded instances of the Pyatt surname can be found in various medieval records, including the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from the 13th century. It is likely that the name was initially adopted by individuals who hailed from a particular location or region associated with rocks or stones.
One notable historical reference to the Pyatt name is found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is recorded as Piert. This valuable medieval census, commissioned by William the Conqueror, provides insight into the distribution of the name across various counties in England.
During the 16th century, the surname underwent further variations in spelling, including Pyat, Pyatt, and Piat. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and the preferences of local scribes who recorded the names.
Among the earliest recorded individuals with the Pyatt surname was John Pyatt, born in Oxfordshire in the late 15th century. Another notable figure was William Pyatt, a wealthy merchant from London who lived during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I in the late 16th century.
In the 17th century, a prominent member of the Pyatt family was Sir Robert Pyatt, a distinguished military commander who served in the English Civil War. He was born in Warwickshire in 1620 and played a crucial role in several pivotal battles.
The 18th century saw the rise of Thomas Pyatt, a renowned botanist and naturalist from Yorkshire. Born in 1745, he made significant contributions to the study of plant life and is remembered for his extensive botanical collections.
In the 19th century, the Pyatt surname was further carried across the globe by emigrants seeking new opportunities. One such individual was James Pyatt, born in 1832 in Gloucestershire, who later settled in Australia and became a successful farmer and landowner.
Throughout its history, the Pyatt surname has maintained a consistent presence in various regions of England, with notable concentrations in counties such as Yorkshire, Oxfordshire, and Gloucestershire. While the name may have evolved from its Old French origins, it remains a testament to the rich tapestry of English surnames and their enduring legacies.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pyatt
Among Census respondents with the surname Pyatt, the largest self-reported group is White at 70.1%. The next largest groups are Black (21.0%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Pyatt 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 Pyatt surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White70.1% · 1,963
- Black or African American21.0% · 587
- Two or more races4.2% · 118
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 106
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 16
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pyatt
Pyatt 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
#11,007
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,890
+120 bearers (+4.3%)
Per 100,000 0.98
Rank movement Down 392 places
2020
#10,874
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,799
-91 bearers (-3.1%)
Per 100,000 0.94
Rank movement Up 133 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,615 | 2,770 | 1.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,007 | 2,890 | 0.98 | +120 bearers (+4.3%) | Down 392 places |
| 2020 | #10,874 | 2,799 | 0.94 | -91 bearers (-3.1%) | Up 133 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 Pyatt 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 | #11,007 | #10,874 | 1.2% |
| Count | 2,890 | 2,799 | -3.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.98 | 0.94 | -4.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pyatt bearers went from 2,890 to 2,799 (-3.1% change). The surname moved up 133 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,007 to #10,874.
FAQ
Pyatt surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pyatt?
Name Census estimates that about 3,210 living Americans carry the surname Pyatt. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 106,777 residents.
How common is Pyatt?
Pyatt ranks #10,874 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.94 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 2,799 people with the surname Pyatt. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,210), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.94 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.94 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 Pyatt.
Has Pyatt become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pyatt went from 2,890 recorded bearers to 2,799. That is a decrease of 91 (-3.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #11,007 to #10,874.
What does the Census say about the background of Pyatt?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pyatt, the largest self-reported group is White at 70.1%. The next largest groups are Black (21.0%) and Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Pyatt in the 2020 Census, accounting for 70.1% (1,963 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pyatt appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (70.1%), Black (21.0%), Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Pyatt (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 Pyatt mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "hawk's nesting place" in Old English, originating in Somerset, England. 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 Pyatt (0.94 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 Pyatt?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.