Contents [hide]

Petit History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables World Ranking

Ireland United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Citations

Petit History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
France
Ireland

The name Petit has a history dating as far back as the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. It was a name for a small person, or the smaller of two people with the same given name. Pettit derives from the Anglo-Norman-French word petit, meaning small. 1

Early Origins of the Petit family

The surname Petit was first found in the Domesday Book of 1086 where Aluric Petit was listed as holding lands in Hampshire at that time. 2 This entry is most interesting. First of all, the spelling of the surname is essentially the same as in use today - most entries were in Latin which is often very different that the English version. Secondly, this entry is one of the very rare entries where a forename (Aluric) and a surname (Petit) were recorded. Almost all of the entries at this time were a surname with no forename.

The Petet variant is also very interesting. "This family are known to have flourished at Ardevors, co. Cornwall, as early as the time of Henry I., and to have had a succession of six knights. The name was anciently written De Petyt, and it must therefore be local." 3

This entry and the previous Domesday entry confirm the Anglo-Norman heritage of this family. Looking back in Normandy, the source Magni Rotuli Scaccarii Normanniae lists "Ralph, William, Bernard, Herbert Parvus or le Petit, Normandy 1180-95" 1 which means that the name concurrently developed in England and Normandy at the same time or in other words, not all of the family emigrated to England after the Conquest.

The Feet of Fines in Essex listed John le Petit in 1228. 4 The Hundredorum Rolls lists Roger Petyt in County Norfolk in 1273. Robert le Petit, was recorded in County Hereford, during the reign of Edward I (1272-1307.) 5

Some of the family were found in the parish of Filley in Cornwall. The "manor called Ardevora, or Ardevro, which is said to comprise the manors of Treveneage and St. Mawes, belonged anciently to the family of Petit, whose co-heiresses in the reign of Henry VI. carried it in marriage to Arundell of Tolverne and Sayer." 6

Early History of the Petit family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Petit research. Another 138 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1171, 1186, 1191, 1194, 1200, 1213, 1215, 1400, 1510, 1536, 1547, 1552, 1554, 1558, 1641, 1707 and 1712 are included under the topic Early Petit History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Petit Spelling Variations

Before the last few hundred years the English language had no fixed system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations occurred commonly in Anglo Norman surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Petit were recorded, including Pettit, Petit, Petitt, Petet and others.

Early Notables of the Petit family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

Alexander Petit, also known as Alexander de Balscot, (died 1400), an English-born, leading Irish cleric of the late fourteenth century, holding the offices of Bishop of Ossory, Bishop of Meath, Treasu...
Thomas Petit, Petyt or Petyte (1536-1554) was an English printer in St. Paul's Churchyard, London, related to the famous John Petit the Paris printer
Sir Charles Pettit was a notable civic leader of the 17th century; and William Petyt (Petit) (1641?-1707), an English lawyer and writer, a political propagandist in the Whig interest

Petit World Ranking

In the United States, the name Petit is the 3,852^nd most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. 7 However, in Quebec, Canada, the name Petit is ranked the 455^th most popular surname. 8 And in France, the name Petit is the 7^th popular surname with an estimated 88,318 people with that name. 9

Migration of the Petit family to Ireland

Some of the Petit family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 163 words (12 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Petit migration to the United States +

The unstable environment in England at this time caused numerous families to board ships and leave in search of opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad in places like Ireland, Australia, and particularly the New World. The voyage was extremely difficult, however, and only taken at great expense. The cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels caused many to arrive diseased and starving, not to mention destitute from the enormous cost. Still opportunity in the emerging nations of Canada and the United States was far greater than at home and many went on to make important contributions to the cultures of their adopted countries. An examination of many early immigration records reveals that people bearing the name Petit arrived in North America very early:

Petit Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Abraham Clement Petit, who landed in Maryland in 1668 10
Mary Petit, who landed in Maryland in 1677 10
Marguerite Petit, who arrived in South Carolina in 1680 10
Rene Petit, who landed in South Carolina in 1680 10

Petit Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Josue Petit, who landed in Virginia in 1700 10
Noel Petit, who settled in Connaigre in 1710
Henry Petit who settled in Louisiana in 1719
Claude Antoine Petit, aged 25, who landed in Louisiana in 1719 10
Henry Petit, aged 50, who arrived in Louisiana in 1719 10
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Petit Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Nicholas Petit, who settled in Philadelphia in 1808
Berrard Petit, who arrived in New York, NY in 1816 10
Fermin Augusto Petit, who arrived in Puerto Rico in 1816 10
Francisco Petit, who landed in Puerto Rico in 1816 10
Louis Florial Petit, who landed in Charleston, South Carolina in 1841 10
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Petit Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Myrtle Edna Thompson Petit, who arrived in Alabama in 1929 10

Petit migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Petit Settlers in Canada in the 17th Century

Mr. Nicolas Petit, French settler travelling to Canada for work arriving on 16th March 1649 11
Nicolas Petit, who settled in Beauchemir, Quebec from Aunis on the west coast of France near Bordeaux in 1656
Nicolas Petit, son of Nicolas and Catherine, who married Marie Pomponnelle, daughter of Jean and Michelle, in Trois-Rivières, Quebec on 17th August 1656 12
Pierre Petit, who arrived in Quebec in 1658
Pierre Petit, son of Pierre and Antoinette, who married Marie Godeau, daughter of Paul and Jeanne, in Quebec on 6th August 1658 12
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Petit Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Nicolas Petit, son of Charles and Jeanne, who married Marie-Marguerite Bertrand, daughter of Guillaume and Marguerite, in Pointe-aux-Trembles, Quebec on 14th September 1700 12
Jean Petit, son of Jean and Catherine, who married Charlotte Duguay, daughter of Sidrac and Marie, in Quebec on 13th September 1706 12
Louis Petit, son of Louis and Marie, who married Marie-Anne Meunier, daughter of Pierre and Barbe, in Boucherville, Quebec on 23rd November 1711 12
Joseph Petit, son of Joseph and Marie, who married Marie-Jeanne Brisset, daughter of Jacques and Marguerite, in La Visitation-de-l'île-Dupas, Quebec on 5th June 1713 12
François Petit, son of Gaspard and Louise, who married Élisabeth Belleperche, daughter of Denis and Gertrude, in Montreal, Quebec on 25th July 1718 12
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Petit Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Jeremiah Petit, who settled in St. Jacques in 1856

Petit migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Petit Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Charles Petit, English convict who was convicted in Chester, Cheshire, England for 14 years, transported aboard the "Blenheim" on 11th March 1837, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 13
Jaques Petit, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Cleveland" in 1839 14

Petit migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Petit Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. Petit, Australian settler travelling from Sydney aboard the ship "Delhi" arriving in New Zealand in 1840 15

Contemporary Notables of the name Petit (post 1700) +

Gene Petit (d. 2013), American professional wrestler, member of the board of directors for the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame
Jean Petit (1949-2024), French football midfielder
Valentin Petit (1990-2023), French filmmaker, best known for directing music videos with both French and international artists
Pierre Petit (1930-2022), Martinican politician who was elected to the French National Assembly in 1993
Jean Martin Petit, French Divisional General during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars from 1789 to 1815 16
Claude Petit, French Brigadier General during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars from 1789 to 1815 17
Charles Frederic Petit, French Olympian who two bronze medals for archery at the 1900 games
Alexis Thérèse Petit (1791-1820), French physicist
Jean-Pierre Petit (b. 1937), French astrophysicist
Pierre Lanith Petit (1832-1909), French photographer
... (Another 1 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Hutchins, Fortescue, The History of Cornwall, from the Earliest Records and Traditions to the Present Time. London: William Penaluna, 1824. Print
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
"The first 1,000 family names by rank, Quebec (in French only)" Institut de la statistique du Quebec, https://statistique.quebec.ca/en/document/family-names-in-quebec/tableau/the-first-1000-family-names-by-rank-quebec
http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Debien, Gabriel. Liste Des Engagés Pour Le Canada Au XVIIe Siècle. Vol. 6, Laval University, 1952. (Retreived 24th May 2018). Retrieved from https://lebloguedeguyperron.wordpress.com/2016/06/30/130-liste-des-contrats-dengagement-pour-la-nouvelle-france-releves-a-la-rochelle-entre-1634-et-1679/
Internoscia, Arthur E., and Claire Chevrier. Dictionnaire National des Canadiens Français 1608-1760. Vol. 2, Institut Drouin, 1958.
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 15th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/blenheim
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) CLEVELAND 1839. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1839Cleveland.htm
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
Generals Who Served in the French Army during the Period 1789-1815. (Retrieved 2015, August 12) Jean Petit. Retrieved from http://www.napoleon-series.org/research/c_frenchgenerals.html
Generals Who Served in the French Army during the Period 1789-1815. (Retrieved 2015, August 12) Claude Petit. Retrieved from http://www.napoleon-series.org/research/c_frenchgenerals.html