NameCensus.

UK surname

Petty

An English occupational surname referring to a small landowner or farmer, from the Old French petit meaning "small".

In the 1881 census there were 2,958 people recorded with the Petty surname, ranking it #1,511 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,733, ranked #2,459, down from #1,511 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, St Pancras and St John Hackney. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bradford, Bridgend and Wakefield.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Petty is 3,751 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 7.6%.

1881 census count

2,958

Ranked #1,511

Modern count

2,733

2016, ranked #2,459

Peak year

1911

3,751 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Petty had 2,958 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,511 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,733 in 2016, ranked #2,459.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 3,751 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Petty surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Petty surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Petty 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 2,041 #1,420
1861 historical 1,815 #1,598
1881 historical 2,958 #1,511
1891 historical 3,088 #1,523
1901 historical 3,495 #1,598
1911 historical 3,751 #1,383
1997 modern 3,033 #2,115
1998 modern 3,058 #2,201
1999 modern 2,999 #2,262
2000 modern 2,997 #2,250
2001 modern 2,923 #2,252
2002 modern 3,000 #2,245
2003 modern 2,873 #2,288
2004 modern 2,860 #2,302
2005 modern 2,812 #2,309
2006 modern 2,814 #2,311
2007 modern 2,809 #2,329
2008 modern 2,858 #2,316
2009 modern 2,892 #2,336
2010 modern 2,945 #2,340
2011 modern 2,883 #2,356
2012 modern 2,847 #2,342
2013 modern 2,867 #2,373
2014 modern 2,842 #2,400
2015 modern 2,765 #2,445
2016 modern 2,733 #2,459

Geography

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Where Pettys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, St Pancras, St John Hackney and Bradford. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bradford, Bridgend, Wakefield and Walsall. 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 London parishes London 1
2 London parishes London 3
3 St Pancras London (North Districts)
4 St John Hackney London (North Districts)
5 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bradford 060 Bradford
2 Bridgend 002 Bridgend
3 Bradford 040 Bradford
4 Wakefield 008 Wakefield
5 Walsall 018 Walsall

Forenames

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First names often paired with Petty

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Petty

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

Rural Amenity

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

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, Petty 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

Petty is most concentrated in decile 7 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Petty falls in decile 8 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Petty 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 Petty, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Petty

The surname Petty originated in England and is believed to have derived from the Old French word "petit," meaning small or little. It likely emerged as a nickname for a person of short stature or a younger child in a family during the Middle Ages.

The name Petty is found in various spellings, such as Pety, Pettie, and Petye, in early English records and documents. One of the earliest documented instances is in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1273, which mentions a William Pety.

In the renowned Domesday Book of 1086, compiled by order of William the Conqueror, there are several references to locations with names containing the root "petit," suggesting the presence of individuals bearing this surname or its variants in those areas.

The Petty surname has a long and notable history in England, with several prominent individuals bearing this name. One of the most famous was Sir William Petty, an English economist, scientist, and philosopher who lived from 1623 to 1687. He made significant contributions to the fields of statistics, political economy, and surveying.

Another notable figure was John Petty, born in 1601, who served as a member of the English Parliament during the 17th century and was involved in the English Civil War. William Petty, born in 1737, was a notable English writer and artist known for his landscape paintings and travel writings.

In the literary world, Tom Petty, born in 1950 and died in 2017, was an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, best known as the lead singer of the rock band Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Although not directly related to the English surname, his name highlights the enduring presence of the Petty name.

The Petty surname has also been associated with certain place names in England, such as Petty France, a historic area in London, and Petty Curry, a village in Somersetshire. These place names may have their origins linked to the surname or vice versa, reflecting the interconnectedness of surnames and geographical locations.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Petty families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Petty 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. Yorkshire leads with 1,056 Pettys recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.69x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 1,056 3.69x
Middlesex 296 1.02x
Lancashire 255 0.74x
Hampshire 251 4.24x
Warwickshire 155 2.13x
Kent 131 1.33x
Surrey 119 0.84x
Durham 104 1.21x
Wiltshire 81 3.17x
Somerset 54 1.16x
Essex 51 0.89x
Staffordshire 44 0.45x
Leicestershire 36 1.12x
Glamorgan 35 0.70x
Lincolnshire 34 0.74x
Buckinghamshire 33 1.89x
Derbyshire 19 0.42x
Nottinghamshire 18 0.46x
Sussex 16 0.33x
Gloucestershire 15 0.26x
Cheshire 14 0.22x
Worcestershire 14 0.37x
Westmorland 13 2.05x
Berkshire 12 0.55x
Dorset 11 0.58x
Hertfordshire 11 0.55x
Oxfordshire 10 0.56x
Perthshire 10 0.77x
Angus 9 0.34x
Cumberland 9 0.36x
Devon 9 0.15x
Midlothian 7 0.18x
Northamptonshire 7 0.26x
Shropshire 6 0.24x
Royal Navy 5 1.45x
Aberdeenshire 4 0.15x
Monmouthshire 4 0.19x
Lanarkshire 3 0.03x
Isle of Man 2 0.37x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.09x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bradford in Yorkshire leads with 54 Pettys recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.79x.

Place Total Index
Bradford 54 7.79x
Lambeth 51 2.02x
Colne 45 44.03x
Leeds 41 2.53x
St Pancras London 39 1.68x
Hackney London 38 2.34x
Sutton In Keighley 34 209.62x
Keighley 32 10.48x
Orpington 32 105.93x
Horton In Bradford 31 6.93x
Southampton St Mary 31 8.32x
Clayton 30 42.78x
Nuneaton 30 35.52x
Christchurch 28 21.79x
Holy Trinity 28 4.06x
North Bierley 28 18.10x
West Ham 27 2.14x
Aston 26 1.29x
Llangynwyd Higher 26 107.53x
Portsea 26 2.24x
Shelf 26 94.99x
Darlington 25 7.53x
Idle 24 18.07x
Lewisham 24 4.56x
Manningham 24 6.80x
Sheffield 24 2.63x
Bromley London 23 3.62x
Hartwith Cum Winsley 23 219.05x
Bingley 22 12.06x
Bury 22 5.61x
Southampton All Sts 22 21.64x
Birmingham 21 0.86x
Bowling 21 7.40x
Preston 21 2.29x
Thornaby 21 19.62x
Kensington London 19 1.18x
West Wellow 19 332.75x
Bedworth 18 33.83x
Billinge Higher End 18 129.50x
Bishopwearmouth 18 2.44x
Brightside Bierlow 18 3.20x
Eatington 18 261.25x
Foleshill 18 23.47x
Headingley Cum Burley 18 9.76x
Barnoldswick 17 42.51x
Eynsford 17 100.53x
St Helens 17 39.46x
Wath On Dearne 17 29.74x
South Stoneham 16 12.45x
Everton 15 1.37x
Tingewick 15 191.08x
Bedminster 14 3.20x
Clerkenwell London 14 2.05x
Fisherton De La Mere 14 477.82x
Leicester St Margaret 14 1.79x
Islington London 13 0.46x
Kingston On Thames 13 3.84x
Millbrook 13 8.71x
St Marylebone London 13 0.84x
Aylesbury 12 15.49x
Fewston 12 375.00x
Foulridge 12 137.46x
Morley 12 8.06x
Poplar London 12 2.20x
Romsey Extra 12 34.05x
Selby 12 20.04x
Wimbledon 12 7.59x
Bilton Cum Harrogate 11 11.23x
Eling 11 18.32x
Elland Cum Greetland 11 8.52x
Yeadon 11 17.00x
Barton Upon Irwell 10 3.87x
Camberwell 10 0.54x
Dunblane 10 32.20x
Kildwick 10 38.33x
Market Rasen 10 38.70x
Morton In Keighley 10 44.42x
Old Stratford 10 24.22x
Rushall 10 17.41x
Willenhall 10 5.47x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 167
Sarah 117
Elizabeth 116
Jane 81
Ann 56
Alice 55
Emma 53
Ellen 51
Annie 44
Hannah 40
Emily 37
Eliza 35
Martha 30
Margaret 28
Louisa 22
Ada 21
Maria 20
Harriet 19
Fanny 17
Amelia 15
Caroline 15
Charlotte 15
Edith 14
Catherine 13
Florence 12
Frances 12
Isabella 12
Rebecca 12
Kate 11
Lucy 11
Clara 9
Harriett 9
Rose 9
Anne 8
Esther 8
Agnes 7
Ethel 7
Elizth. 6
Lizzie 6
Susan 6
Adelaide 5
Lilly 5
Rachel 5
Rosa 5
Selina 5
Bessie 4
Betsy 4
Helen 4
Lily 4
Minnie 4

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 188
William 152
Thomas 118
George 108
James 79
Joseph 76
Charles 55
Henry 46
Robert 39
Richard 38
Arthur 32
Edward 32
Walter 29
Alfred 27
Frederick 21
Albert 19
Harry 17
David 13
Frank 13
Fred 13
Samuel 12
Edwin 11
Herbert 11
Ernest 10
Francis 9
Sam 8
Daniel 7
Joshua 7
Thos. 7
Christopher 6
Edmund 6
Tom 6
Abraham 5
Benjamin 5
Chas. 5
Lister 4
Stephen 4
Sydney 4
Alexander 3
Anthony 3
Edgar 3
Fredrick 3
Mark 3
Sylvester 3
W. 3
Willie 3
Wm. 3
Zachariah 3
Llewellyn 2
Matthew 2

FAQ

Petty surname: questions and answers

How common was the Petty surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,958 people were recorded with the Petty surname. That placed it at #1,511 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Petty surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,733 in 2016. That gives Petty a modern rank of #2,459.

What does the Petty surname mean?

An English occupational surname referring to a small landowner or farmer, from the Old French petit meaning "small".

What does the Petty map show?

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