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

Rabbitt, 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 Rabbitt surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Rabbitt in America

Rabbitt is the 22944th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Rabbitt surname appeared 1,115 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 Rabbitt.

We can also compare 2010 data for Rabbitt 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 Rabbitt

The surname Rabbitt is of English origin and can be traced back to the early 13th century. It is an occupational name derived from the Old English word "rabet," meaning a small, furry mammal that was commonly hunted and eaten. The name was likely given to someone who worked as a rabbit hunter, trapper, or dealer in the trade of rabbits.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Worcestershire from 1275, which mentions a "William Rabbet." This suggests that the surname was already established in parts of England by the late 13th century.

In the 14th century, the surname appeared in various spellings, including Rabbet, Rabett, and Rabbett, reflecting the inconsistencies in spelling and record-keeping during that time period. The Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327 list a "John Rabett," while the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1379 mention a "Thomas Rabbett."

The surname Rabbitt is believed to have originated in the counties of Worcestershire, Gloucestershire, and Somerset, where rabbit hunting and trading were common occupations. Some early bearers of the name were likely associated with these areas or nearby regions.

One notable individual with the surname Rabbitt was John Rabbitt, a 17th-century English clergyman and author who was born in 1625 and died in 1699. He was the rector of Tamworth in Staffordshire and published several religious works, including "The Christian's Guide" and "A Defence of the Church of England."

Another prominent figure was William Rabbitt, an English merchant and philanthropist from Bristol, who lived from 1736 to 1821. He made a significant fortune in the West Indies trade and donated a substantial portion of his wealth to charitable causes, including the establishment of a school and almshouses in Bristol.

In the 19th century, James Rabbitt (1815-1892) was a British engineer and inventor who patented several improvements in steam engine design and contributed to the development of early railway technology.

Additionally, Thomas Rabbitt (1868-1944) was an Irish politician and member of the UK Parliament, representing the constituency of North Roscommon from 1910 to 1918.

Finally, one of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Rabbitt in America was Daniel Rabbitt, an English immigrant who settled in Virginia in the 1630s and is listed in the records of the Virginia Company of London.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Rabbitt

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

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

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

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