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Petit Family History

Petit Surname Meaning

French Walloon Catalan English Jewish (from southern France) West Indian (mainly Haiti) and Mauritian: from (Old) French Catalan and Middle English petit ‘small’ hence a nickname for a small man (or an ironic nickname for a big man) or a distinguishing name for the younger of two bearers of the same personal name.

Compare Little Petee and Petite.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: 

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Petit family from?

You can see how Petit families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Petit family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Petit families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 39 Petit families living in London. This was about 30% of all the recorded Petit's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Petit families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Petit surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Petit ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Motor Driver and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Petit. 100% of Petit men worked as a Motor Driver and 77% of Petit women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties.

View Census Data for Petit | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1939

  • Motor Driver
    100%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    77%
  • Housewife
    8%
  • Private Means
    4%
  • Shorthand Typist
    4%

What Petit family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 48,000 census records available for the last name Petit. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Petit census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Petit

Passenger Lists

There are 9,000 immigration records available for the last name Petit. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Petit immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 6,000 military records available for the last name Petit. For the veterans among your Petit ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Petit military records

You've only scratched the surface of Petit family history

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What is the average Petit lifespan?

Between 1944 and 2004, in the United States, Petit life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1949, and highest in 2001. The average life expectancy for Petit in 1944 was 28, and 74 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Petit

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Petit ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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