NameCensus.

UK surname

Pettis

Derived from the French surname Petit, meaning "small" or "little," likely referring to a person of short stature.

In the 1881 census there were 15 people recorded with the Pettis surname, ranking it #31,451 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 101, ranked #30,929, up from #31,451 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include East Dorset, Vale of White Horse and Northampton.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Pettis is 101 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 573.3%.

1881 census count

15

Ranked #31,451

Modern count

101

2016, ranked #30,929

Peak year

2014

101 bearers

Map years

1

2016 to 2016

Key insights

  • Pettis had 15 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #31,451 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 101 in 2016, ranked #30,929.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 71 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Pettis surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Pettis surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Pettis 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 14 #30,790
1861 historical 43 #28,562
1881 historical 15 #31,451
1891 historical 71 #27,934
1901 historical 36 #30,099
1911 historical 38 #29,147
1997 modern 88 #28,611
1998 modern 92 #28,680
1999 modern 91 #28,937
2000 modern 93 #28,701
2001 modern 89 #28,932
2002 modern 92 #29,040
2003 modern 89 #29,380
2004 modern 86 #30,019
2005 modern 86 #30,094
2006 modern 90 #29,893
2007 modern 91 #30,061
2008 modern 88 #30,857
2009 modern 86 #31,612
2010 modern 87 #31,990
2011 modern 87 #31,905
2012 modern 93 #31,409
2013 modern 97 #31,239
2014 modern 101 #30,855
2015 modern 101 #30,816
2016 modern 101 #30,929

Geography

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Where Pettis' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to East Dorset, Vale of White Horse, Northampton, Wellingborough and Weymouth and Portland. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 East Dorset 001 East Dorset
2 Vale of White Horse 010 Vale of White Horse
3 Northampton 005 Northampton
4 Wellingborough 001 Wellingborough
5 Weymouth and Portland 001 Weymouth and Portland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Pettis

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Pettis

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Pettis, 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

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Ageing Communities

Nationally, the Pettis surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Pettis household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Pettis is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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

Mainly concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Pettis is most concentrated in decile 8 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Pettis falls in decile 5 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.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Pettis is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 40-50 mbit/s.

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

7
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Pettis

The surname Pettis is of English origin and can be traced back to the late 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the old English word "petit," meaning small or little. The name was initially used as a nickname for a small or diminutive person.

In medieval times, surnames were often given as descriptive nicknames based on a person's physical appearance, occupation, or place of origin. The Pettis surname likely originated in this manner, referring to someone of small stature.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Pettis can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Northamptonshire from 1195, which mention a person named Petitus. This early spelling variation highlights the evolution of the name over time.

The Pettis surname has also been linked to various place names in England, such as Pettysworth in Gloucestershire and Petwood in Staffordshire. These place names may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname in certain regions.

Historically, the Pettis name has been associated with several notable individuals. One such example is Sir John Pettis (c. 1550-1614), an English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Shaftesbury in 1593.

Another noteworthy figure was William Pettis (1608-1668), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Master of Caius College, Cambridge, from 1649 until his death.

In the literary world, Mary Pettis (1623-1678) was an English poet and translator who published works during the 17th century. Her most well-known work was a collection of poems titled "Virgil's Eclogues and Georgics."

Across the Atlantic, one of the earliest recorded instances of the Pettis surname in America was John Pettis, who arrived in Virginia in 1623 as an indentured servant.

Additionally, Thomas Pettis (1776-1851) was an American lawyer and politician who served as a U.S. Representative from Virginia from 1829 to 1835.

Throughout history, the Pettis surname has undergone various spelling variations, including Pettus, Petteys, Petteys, and Petty, reflecting regional differences and linguistic influences.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Pettis families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Pettis 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. Dorset leads with 8 Pettis' recorded in 1881 and an index of 83.42x.

County Total Index
Dorset 8 83.42x
Hampshire 3 10.02x
Suffolk 2 11.24x
Kent 1 2.01x
Northamptonshire 1 7.28x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Chettle in Dorset leads with 7 Pettis' recorded in 1881 and an index of 70000.00x.

Place Total Index
Chettle 7 70000.00x
Bury St Edmunds St Mary 2 606.06x
Arreton 1 1000.00x
Brading 1 250.00x
Greenwich 1 42.92x
Marnhull 1 1428.57x
Thrapston 1 1428.57x
Ventnor 1 357.14x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Edna 1
Esther 1
Lilian 1
Maria 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
George 2
Charles 1
Edward 1
Henry 1
James 1
John 1
Joseph 1
Seymour 1
Thomas 1
William 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 Pettis households.

FAQ

Pettis surname: questions and answers

How common was the Pettis surname in 1881?

In 1881, 15 people were recorded with the Pettis surname. That placed it at #31,451 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Pettis surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 101 in 2016. That gives Pettis a modern rank of #30,929.

What does the Pettis surname mean?

Derived from the French surname Petit, meaning "small" or "little," likely referring to a person of short stature.

What does the Pettis map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Pettis 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.