The Pitt surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 9,151 people carried this name — #3,873 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 32,300 people counted. That is up 6% from 8,666 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Pitt surname

An English topographical surname for someone who lived by, or operated a pit or mine.

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Pitt» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley classes it as a local name, from where the family lived: ‘at the pit’.

An early record he cites: Robert in the Pyt, c. 1300 — Writs of Parliament.

His entry covers Pitt and Pitts.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 609 · public domain.

In Argentina’s national register

At least 97 people named Pitt live in Argentina.

RENAPER only publishes a name in a province when more than ten people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in Córdoba.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they live today

Córdoba 63
Buenos Aires Province 18
City of Buenos Aires 16

RENAPER (National Registry of Persons, Argentina), surnames of residents by province, December 2021 — CC BY 4.0.

In France’s civil register

France’s register of deaths holds 38 people named Pitt.

Most of them — 20 — were born outside France. Those born in France came from 9 départements, most often Drôme.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they were born

Born outside France 20
Drôme 4
Aisne 3
Marne 3
Oise 2
Lot-et-Garonne 2
Paris 1
Seine-et-Marne 1
Hauts-de-Seine 1

Fichier des personnes décédées, INSEE — Licence Ouverte 2.0 · deaths recorded in France since 1970, by place of birth.

In Switzerland’s population statistics

29 people named Pitt live in Switzerland.

They live in 5 of Switzerland’s 26 cantons, most of all in Vaud.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they live today

Vaud 13
Zurich 7
Aargau 3
Bern 3
Lucerne 3

Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO), «Surnames of the permanent resident population by canton», 2025, opendata.swiss/en/dataset/nachnamen-der-standigen-wohnbevolkerung-nach-kanton3 · names with fewer than 3 bearers in a canton are not published.

Among the farmers of England and Wales, 1880s

Pitt was found among the farmers of 3 counties.

It was most frequent in Herefordshire: 58 in every 10,000 farmers there — about 1 in 172. Guppy counted the farmers listed in each county’s directory and recorded a name only where it reached about 7 in every 10,000; where it does not appear, it was rarer than that, not absent.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Per 10,000 farmers, by county

Herefordshire 58
Worcestershire 18
Gloucestershire 17

H. B. Guppy, «Homes of Family Names in Great Britain» (London, 1890), alphabetical list of English and Welsh names — public domain · farmers in Kelly’s Post Office Directories of the 1880s, per 10,000 farmers in each county.

In Scotland’s registers today

Pitt was recorded 10 times in Scotland’s registers of births, marriages and deaths in 2025.

That made it the 1929th most common name in those registers, shared with others on the same count. In 1975, the first year of the series, the count was 12. Each birth counts the child’s surname, each marriage both partners’ and each death the surname of the person who died — a yearly count of registrations, not of the people who live in Scotland.

National Records of Scotland, «Most Common Surnames, 2025» (published 26 May 2026): every surname recorded 10 or more times in the 2025 registers, and the series from 1975 · different spellings are counted separately — © Crown copyright 2026. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

In print

Pitt in American newspapers,
1794–1896.

Newspaper page from The Sea Coast Echo carrying the name Pitt
The Sea Coast Echo 1896-05-02
Newspaper page from The American Herald Of Liberty carrying the name Pitt
The American Herald Of Liberty 1794-05-06
Newspaper page from The Republican Ledger carrying the name Pitt
The Republican Ledger 1801-03-31

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 12,947 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Pitt in Australian newspapers,
1800s–2010s.

119,994 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Pitt. The most, 18,975, date from the 1920s. New South Wales has the most articles, but weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, the name stands out most in Tasmania, at 1.8 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 44,066
Victoria 24,487
Tasmania 15,573
Queensland 15,309
South Australia 14,615
Western Australia 5,131
ACT (Canberra) 558
Northern Territory 58

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Pitt.

Who carried it

People named Pitt,
with a public archive behind them.

  • William Pitt d. 1725 · politician
  • Mary Pitt d. 1739
  • Eleanor Pitt d. 1727
  • Georgiana Augusta Pitt d. 1912
  • unknown Pitt d. 1643
  • John Pitt 1546–1626 · politician

Wikidata (CC0) · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Pitt,
in the records of 8 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States1,139 records

1,139 records of the Pitt name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 304
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 270
  • Other U.S. records 565
  1. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Roy Sharp Pitt

    Born 1945; from Menlo Park, California. U.S. Army, infantryman; killed in action 1966 in South Vietnam. Buried at Golden Gate National Cemetery, California.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Michael J. Pitt

    Born 1917 in Pennsylvania. Enlisted 1943 at Altoona; miner from Huntingdon County. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1959, buried at Long Island National Cemetery, New York.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Emily Pitt

    Arrived at New York in 1892 aboard the Teutonic from Liverpool and Queenstown, aged 26; servant. From Birmingham, England; bound for New York.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)

Showing 3 of 1,139 records for Pitt in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain) · New York State, Open NY (police and firefighter memorial rolls). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Australia2,166 records

2,166 records of the Pitt name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 843
  • Tasmanian Names Index 736
  • Other Australian records 587
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record George Pitt

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Lady East, sailing from Falmouth in 1824. Native of Bristol, Gloucestershire. Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1847. Married 1847 in Hobart, Tasmania, aged 37.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Julia Mary Pitt

    Arrived in Tasmania in 1876 aboard the Somersetshire from London. Married 1880 in Franklin, Tasmania, aged 18.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Francis Pitt

    Died 1874 in Hobart, Tasmania, aged 80. Will registered in Tasmania in 1874.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 2,166 records for Pitt in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain).

Netherlands132 records

132 records of the Pitt name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 72
  • Dutch population registers 47
  • Dutch church registers before 1811 13
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Hendrika Pitt

    Born 1845 in Deventer. Married in 1868 in Deventer.

    Open Archives, Collectie Overijssel locatie Zwolle (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Frederik Adam Pitt

    Born 1917 in Rotterdam. Married in 1942 in Rotterdam. Died 1950 in Rotterdam, aged 33.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Rotterdam (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Alberta Johanna Pitt

    Born 1852 in Deventer. Died 1925 in Rotterdam, aged 72.

    Open Archives, Collectie Overijssel locatie Zwolle (CC BY 4.0); Open Archives, Stadsarchief Rotterdam (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 132 records for Pitt in the Netherlands.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

Canada98 records

98 records of the Pitt name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 32
  • Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver 22
  • Other Canadian records 44
  1. The first page of an emigration file from Gündlingen, Baden, 1883
    Example: German emigration file, 1883
    Emigration record William Pitt

    Left New York in 1783 aboard the Free Britain, bound for Port Roseway, aged 32.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Amos Pitt

    Came to Ontario in 1872 aboard the Medway, landing at Quebec, bound for Woodstock, Ontario; English.

    Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
  3. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Edith Mary Pitt

    Buried in 1995 at Queen's Park Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 89.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.

Showing 3 of 98 records for Pitt in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · City of Niagara Falls. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Niagara Falls. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Emigration file, Gündlingen, 1883, Landesarchiv Baden-Württemberg, Staatsarchiv Freiburg B 694/1 Nr. 1389 (CC BY 4.0); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0).

United Kingdom63 records

63 records of the Pitt name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 49
  • St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853 11
  • Other British records 3
  1. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Sophia Pitt

    Will proved in 1935; of Tumble.

    National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Rich Pitt

    Buried in 1832 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 47.

    MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record S. Pitt

    The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Showing 3 of 63 records for Pitt in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. · National Library of Scotland, Rolls of Honour (public domain) · National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0) · Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

Germany23 records

23 records of the Pitt name in Germany Germany's First World War casualty lists, 1914–1919
  1. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Albert Pitt

    From Berlin. Reported wounded in the Prussian casualty list of 19 November 1915 (Reserve Infantry Regiment No. 8).

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)
  2. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Friedrich Pitt

    From Posen. Reported wounded in the Prussian casualty list of 15 July 1918.

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)
  3. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Rudolf Pitt

    From Wedelsberg, Angermünde. Reported missing in the Prussian casualty list of 19 November 1918.

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)

Showing 3 of 23 records for Pitt in Germany.

Counts: Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Deutsche Verlustlisten, Prussian list 1116, 18 April 1918 (scan via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0).

New Zealand21 records

21 records of the Pitt name in New Zealand Christchurch City cemetery records
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Ellen Gertrude Pitt

    Died 1933, aged 21; buried at Sydenham Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Albert Pitt

    Died 1954, aged 60; buried at Bromley Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record John George Pitt

    Died 1917, aged 80; buried at Linwood Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 21 records for Pitt in New Zealand.

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

France14 records

14 records of the Pitt name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Gaston Louis Pitt

    Born 1913 in Cliousclat; died 1989 in Montoison (Drôme).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  2. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Ginette Renee Pitt

    Born 1924 in Guignicourt; died 1992 in Guignicourt (Aisne).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  3. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Marie Rose Pitt

    Born 1897 in Coulommiers (Seine-et-Marne); died 1976 in Agen (Lot-et-Garonne).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Showing 3 of 14 records for Pitt in France.

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Pitt.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Pitt is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

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