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Petty Family History

Petty Surname Meaning

English: variant of Petit. The name is also found in Ireland

the main branch there having been established in County Kerry in the 17th century by Sir William Petty.

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 Petty family from?

You can see how Petty families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Petty family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Petty families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 1,088 Petty families living in Yorkshire. This was about 36% of all the recorded Petty's in United Kingdom. Yorkshire had the highest population of Petty families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Petty 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 Petty ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Petty. 8% of Petty men worked as a General Labourer and 70% of Petty women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Petty were Dairy Farmer and Housewife.

View Census Data for Petty | 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

  • General Labourer
    8%
  • Incapacitated
    4%
  • Gardener
    4%
  • Dairy Farmer
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    70%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Private Means
    2%
  • Housewife
    2%

What Petty family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 188,000 census records available for the last name Petty. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Petty census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Petty

Passenger Lists

There are 9,000 immigration records available for the last name Petty. 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 Petty immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 33,000 military records available for the last name Petty. For the veterans among your Petty ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Petty military records

You've only scratched the surface of Petty family history

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What is the average Petty lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Petty life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 1999. The average life expectancy for Petty in 1940 was 40, and 74 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Petty

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Petty 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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