NameCensus.

UK surname

Pettie

An English surname derived from the Old French word "petit" meaning small or little.

In the 1881 census there were 91 people recorded with the Pettie surname, ranking it #20,843 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 140, ranked #24,865, down from #20,843 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Govan Combination, St Pancras and Kings Norton. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Selkirk, Clermiston and Drumbrae and Dalry and Fountainbridge.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Pettie is 168 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 53.8%.

1881 census count

91

Ranked #20,843

Modern count

140

2016, ranked #24,865

Peak year

1998

168 bearers

Map years

5

1891 to 2016

Key insights

  • Pettie had 91 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #20,843 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 140 in 2016, ranked #24,865.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 129 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Pettie surname distribution map

The map shows where the Pettie surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Pettie surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Pettie over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 54 #23,577
1861 historical 83 #23,189
1881 historical 91 #20,843
1891 historical 111 #22,421
1901 historical 129 #19,735
1911 historical 58 #27,001
1997 modern 151 #21,034
1998 modern 168 #20,181
1999 modern 167 #20,374
2000 modern 155 #21,341
2001 modern 151 #21,375
2002 modern 153 #21,609
2003 modern 150 #21,669
2004 modern 145 #22,289
2005 modern 151 #21,667
2006 modern 151 #21,818
2007 modern 156 #21,650
2008 modern 157 #21,766
2009 modern 161 #21,879
2010 modern 159 #22,577
2011 modern 145 #23,837
2012 modern 135 #24,952
2013 modern 140 #24,779
2014 modern 141 #24,855
2015 modern 141 #24,723
2016 modern 140 #24,865

Geography

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Where Petties are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Govan Combination, St Pancras, Kings Norton, Edinburgh and Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Selkirk, Clermiston and Drumbrae, Dalry and Fountainbridge, Queensferry East and Galashiels West. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Govan Combination Lanark
2 St Pancras London (North Districts)
3 Kings Norton Worcestershire
4 Edinburgh Edinburgh
5 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Selkirk Scottish Borders
2 Clermiston and Drumbrae City of Edinburgh
3 Dalry and Fountainbridge City of Edinburgh
4 Queensferry East City of Edinburgh
5 Galashiels West Scottish Borders

Forenames

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First names often paired with Pettie

These lists show first names that appear often with the Pettie surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Pettie

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Pettie, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Pettie surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Pettie household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Pettie is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Pettie is most concentrated in decile 3 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Pettie falls in decile 6 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Pettie is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Pettie, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Pettie

The surname PETTIE is of English origin, deriving from a nickname for a small or diminutive person. It is believed to have originated in the 13th century, with early recordings of the name found in various regional records and tax rolls across England.

The name PETTIE is thought to be a variant spelling of the more common surname PETTY, which stems from the Old French word 'petit', meaning small or little. This nickname was likely given to someone of short stature or perhaps a younger child in a family.

One of the earliest known bearers of the PETTIE surname was John Pettie, recorded in the Subsidy Rolls of Warwickshire in 1332. Another early reference is found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire, where a William Pettie is mentioned in 1379.

In the 16th century, the PETTIE name appears in various parish records across England, including in the village of Ashby-de-la-Zouch in Leicestershire, where a Richard Pettie was christened in 1587.

Notable individuals with the PETTIE surname include John Pettie (1839-1893), a Scottish painter renowned for his historical and genre works. He was born in Edinburgh and studied at the Trustee's Academy.

Another bearer of note was Sir William Pettie (1601-1638), an English lawyer and politician who served as Attorney General for Ireland from 1634 until his death.

In the literary world, George Pettie (c.1548-1589) was an English writer and translator, best known for his work 'A Petite Pallace of Pettie His Pleasure', published in 1576.

The PETTIE surname has also been found in early colonial records in North America, with John Pettie being listed as a landowner in Virginia in 1624.

While less common than some other English surnames, PETTIE has maintained a presence throughout history, with bearers recorded in various regions and occupations over the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Pettie families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Pettie surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Midlothian leads with 38 Petties recorded in 1881 and an index of 33.05x.

County Total Index
Midlothian 38 33.05x
Lanarkshire 11 3.96x
Middlesex 10 1.17x
Surrey 9 2.15x
Lancashire 6 0.59x
Fife 4 7.87x
Warwickshire 4 1.85x
Angus 3 3.77x
Perthshire 2 5.19x
Glamorgan 1 0.67x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Edinburgh St Cuthberts in Midlothian leads with 14 Petties recorded in 1881 and an index of 30.26x.

Place Total Index
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 14 30.26x
Edinburgh Canongate 7 238.91x
Govan 7 10.20x
Wimbledon 7 148.94x
Chiswick 5 106.61x
Edinburgh Lady Yesters 5 625.00x
Newton 5 1282.05x
St Marylebone London 5 10.91x
Nuneaton 4 159.36x
Wardleworth 4 68.73x
Edinburgh Tolbooth 3 447.76x
Barony 2 2.85x
Errol 2 281.69x
Glasgow 2 4.06x
South Leith 2 15.46x
Birkdale 1 38.76x
Corstorphine 1 158.73x
Dalkeith 1 44.05x
Dysart 1 29.24x
Forfar 1 23.20x
Kettle 1 163.93x
Kirkcaldy 1 39.68x
Kirkden 1 200.00x
Lambeth 1 1.34x
Monifieth 1 35.59x
Newburgh 1 153.85x
Penge 1 18.25x
Swansea Town 1 8.16x
Whiston 1 126.58x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Pettie surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Eliza 2
Alison 1
Amelia 1
Annie 1
Edith 1
Elizabeth 1
Esther 1
Ethel 1
Harriett 1
Janet 1
May 1
Rosamarion 1
Sarah 1
Temperance 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Pettie surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Albert 2
John 2
William 2
David 1
Florence 1
George 1
Graham 1
James 1
Montreal 1
Ralph 1
Thomas 1
Thos. 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Pettie households.

FAQ

Pettie surname: questions and answers

How common was the Pettie surname in 1881?

In 1881, 91 people were recorded with the Pettie surname. That placed it at #20,843 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Pettie surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 140 in 2016. That gives Pettie a modern rank of #24,865.

What does the Pettie surname mean?

An English surname derived from the Old French word "petit" meaning small or little.

What does the Pettie map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Pettie bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.