2000
#142,819
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Pyett
A surname derived from a place name, possibly related to the Middle English word "pit" meaning a hole or depression.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 107 Americans carry the last name Pyett. That puts it at #156,616 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,203,312 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pyett 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 Pyett with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
107
1 in 3,203,312
Census rank
#156,616
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
93
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 93 bearers of the surname Pyett in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 156616th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pyett, the largest self-reported group is White at 52.7%. The next largest groups are Black (43.0%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pyett
The surname Pyett is believed to have originated in England, with its earliest known roots tracing back to the 14th century. It is thought to be a variant spelling of the Old English name "Piet," which was derived from the French word "petit," meaning small or little.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Pyett surname can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex, dated 1333, where a certain Willelmus Pyett is mentioned. This suggests that the name was already established in the southern county of Sussex by the early 14th century.
In the 15th century, the Pyett surname appeared in various historical records across different regions of England. For instance, in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield, Yorkshire, a Thomas Pyett is documented in 1439. Additionally, in the Lay Subsidy Rolls of Warwickshire from 1524, a John Pyett is listed.
Throughout the centuries, the Pyett surname has been subject to various spelling variations, including Pyet, Pyett, Pyatt, and Piet, among others. These variations often arose due to regional dialects, scribal errors, and personal preferences in spelling.
One notable individual bearing the Pyett surname was Edward Pyett, an English composer and organist who lived from 1592 to 1662. He served as the organist at Magdalen College, Oxford, and composed several volumes of sacred music during his lifetime.
Another historical figure was John Pyett, a merchant and alderman in the city of London during the late 16th and early 17th centuries. He was born around 1560 and held a prominent position in the city's governance and trade affairs.
In the 18th century, a certain William Pyett (1719-1795) gained recognition as a renowned clockmaker and watchmaker in London. His timepieces were highly regarded for their craftsmanship and precision.
Moving into the 19th century, Thomas Pyett (1808-1887) was a notable English architect who designed several churches and public buildings in the gothic revival style, primarily in the counties of Staffordshire and Shropshire.
Lastly, one cannot overlook the contributions of Sir James Pyett (1878-1957), a British businessman and philanthropist. He played a significant role in the development of the automotive industry in the United Kingdom and was knighted for his services to industry and charity.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pyett
Among Census respondents with the surname Pyett, the largest self-reported group is White at 52.7%. The next largest groups are Black (43.0%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Pyett 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 Pyett surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White52.7% · 49
- Black or African American43.0% · 40
- Two or more races4.3% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pyett
Pyett 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
#144,141
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
+8 bearers (+7.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 1,322 places
2020
#156,616
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 93
-22 bearers (-19.1%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 12,475 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #142,819 | 107 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #144,141 | 115 | 0.04 | +8 bearers (+7.5%) | Down 1,322 places |
| 2020 | #156,616 | 93 | 0.03 | -22 bearers (-19.1%) | Down 12,475 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 Pyett 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 | #144,141 | #156,616 | -8.7% |
| Count | 115 | 93 | -19.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -22.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pyett bearers went from 115 to 93 (-19.1% change). The surname moved down 12,475 positions in the national ranking, going from #144,141 to #156,616.
FAQ
Pyett surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pyett?
Name Census estimates that about 107 living Americans carry the surname Pyett. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,203,312 residents.
How common is Pyett?
Pyett ranks #156,616 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 93 people with the surname Pyett. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (107), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Pyett.
Has Pyett become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pyett went from 115 recorded bearers to 93. That is a decrease of 22 (-19.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #144,141 to #156,616.
What does the Census say about the background of Pyett?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pyett, the largest self-reported group is White at 52.7%. The next largest groups are Black (43.0%) and Two or More Races (4.3%). 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 Pyett in the 2020 Census, accounting for 52.7% (49 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pyett appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (52.7%), Black (43.0%), Two or More Races (4.3%). 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 Pyett (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 Pyett mean?
A surname derived from a place name, possibly related to the Middle English word "pit" meaning a hole or depression. 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 Pyett (0.03 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 Pyett?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.