Contents [hide]

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

Ireland United States Canada Australia New Zealand West Indies

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Motto Citations

Pitt History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The distinguished surname Pitt emerged among the industrious people of Flanders, which was an important trading partner and political ally of Britain during the Middle Ages. As a result of the frequent commercial intercourse between the Flemish and English nations, many Flemish migrants settled in Britain. In early times, people were known by only a single name. However, as the population grew and people traveled further afield, it became increasingly necessary to assume an additional name to differentiate between bearers of the same personal name. The manner in which hereditary surnames arose is interesting. Local surnames are derived from where the original bearer lived, was born, or held land. Flemish surnames of this type frequently are prefixed by de la or de le, which mean of the or from the. The Pitt family originally lived in the settlement of Pett in Kent, in the place named Pitt in Hampshire, or in any low-lying area resembling a pit or hollows. 1

The surname Pitt is derived from the Old English words pytt, which means pit. Pitt belongs to both the category of habitation names, which are derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads, or other places, and the class of topographic surnames, which were given to people who resided near physical features such as hills, streams, churches, or types of trees.

However, one source notes that the family could have been Norman in origin as the Magni Rotuli Scaccarii Normanniae noted "Richard and Turstin Peet are mentioned 1198. "From the [coat of ] arms the well-known family of Pitt is the same as that of Pet or Pette of Kent and Sussex. " 2

Early Origins of the Pitt family

The surname Pitt was first found in Dorset at Blandford (Blandford Forum), a parish, in the union of Blandford, hundred of Coombs-Ditch. "The church [of Blandford], with the exception of the tower, was rebuilt in 1711, by Governor Pitt, ancestor of the Earl of Chatham and of Lord Camelford; it is in the Grecian style, and contains the remains of many of the Pitt family." 3 Thomas Pitt (1653-1726), the famed English merchant and progenitor of the American family of note was born here.

Early History of the Pitt family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Pitt research. Another 69 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1557, 1559, 1560, 1606, 1614, 1616, 1624, 1625, 1627, 1634, 1636, 1639, 1643, 1653, 1654, 1655, 1658, 1660, 1672, 1679, 1680, 1686, 1694, 1697, 1713, 1726 and 1804 are included under the topic Early Pitt History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Pitt Spelling Variations

Flemish surnames are characterized by a large number of spelling variations. One reason for this is that medieval English lacked definite spelling rules. The spellings of surnames were also influenced by the official court languages, which were French and Latin. Names were rarely spelled consistently in medieval times. Scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to specific spelling rules, and people often had their names registered in several different forms throughout their lives. One of the greatest reasons for change is the linguistic uniqueness of the Flemish settlers in England, who spoke a language closely related to Dutch. The pronunciation and spelling of Flemish names were often altered to suit the tastes of English-speaking people. In many cases, the first, final, or middle syllables of surnames were eliminated. The name has been spelled Pitt, Pit and others.

Early Notables of the Pitt family

Prominent in the family at this time was

John Pitts (1560-1616), an English Roman Catholic scholar and writer
Sir William Pitt (1559-1636), an English courtier and politician, Member of Parliament for Wareham (1614-1625)
Edward Pitt (died 1643), an English landowner and politician, Member of Parliament for Poole in 1624
George Pitt (1625-1694), an English landowner and politician, Member of Parliament for Wareham (1660-1679)
Moses Pitt (c. 1639-1697) English bookseller and printer, best known for his production of his Atlas of the world, a project supported by the Royal Society, and Christopher Wren
Robert Pitt M.D. (1653-1713), an English physician

Pitt World Ranking

In the United States, the name Pitt is the 2,755^th most popular surname with an estimated 9,948 people with that name. 4 However, in Australia, the name Pitt is ranked the 601^st most popular surname with an estimated 6,510 people with that name. 5 And in the United Kingdom, the name Pitt is the 833^rd popular surname with an estimated 8,105 people with that name. 6

Migration of the Pitt family to Ireland

Some of the Pitt family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Pitt migration to the United States +

Amongst the settlers in North America with this distinguished name Pitt were

Pitt Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

William Pitt, from London, who landed in Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1621 aboard the ship "Fortune" 7
Mr. Richard Pitt, aged 19, who arrived in Virginia in 1634 aboard the ship "Bonaventure" coming via St. Domingo 8
Henry Pitt, who arrived in Virginia in 1652 7
Rowland Pitt, who settled in Virginia in 1653
Gyles Pitt, who arrived in Virginia in 1663 7
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Pitt Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Robert Pitt, who landed in Virginia in 1714 7
Rowland Pitt, who arrived in Virginia in 1714 7
Richard Pitt, who arrived in America in 1760-1763 7
Benjamin Pitt, who arrived in America in 1760-1763 7

Pitt Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

John Pitt, aged 44, who landed in Massachusetts in 1812 7
Samuel Pitt, who landed in New York in 1830 7
Lazurus Pitt, who arrived in New York in 1839 7
James Pitt, who landed in New York in 1844 7
Thomas H Pitt, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1851 7
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Pitt migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Pitt Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Harry Pitt, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1749
Mr. William Pitt U.E. who settled in Canada c. 1784 9

Pitt Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Johann Pitt, aged 26, who arrived in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1855
Maria Pitt, aged 23, who landed in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1855
August Pitt, aged 8, who landed in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1855
Caroline Pitt, who landed in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1855

Pitt migration to Australia +

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

Pitt Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Thomas Pitt, British convict who was convicted in Gloucester, Gloucestershire, England for 14 years, transported aboard the "Competitor"18th March 1823, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land), he died in 1826 10
John Pitt, English convict from Kent, who was transported aboard the "Albion" on May 29, 1828, settling in New South Wales, Australia 11
Mr. William Pitt, (b. 1804), aged 30, English convict who was convicted in Worcester, Worcestershire, England for 7 years for larceny, transported aboard the "Bengal Merchant" on 27th September 1834, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 12
Mr. Thomas Pitt, British Convict who was convicted in Bristol, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Asia" on 20th July 1837, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 13
Mr. William Pitt, British Convict who was convicted in Bristol, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Asia" on 20th July 1837, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 13
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Pitt 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:

Pitt Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Major Col. George Dean Pitt, British settler, as the 2nd Detachment of New Zealand Corps of Royal New Zealand Fencibles travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Minerva" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 8th October 1847 14
Henry Pitt, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Artemesia" in 1854
Mr. Pitt, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Solent" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 30th July 1857 15
Andrew Pitt, aged 32, a labourer, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Resolute" in 1865
Elizabeth Pitt, aged 29, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Resolute" in 1865
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Pitt migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 16

Pitt Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

Mr. William Pitt, (b. 1610), aged 25, British settler travelling aboard the ship "Expedition" arriving in Barbados in 1636 17
Thomas Pitt was banished to Barbados in 1685

Contemporary Notables of the name Pitt (post 1700) +

William Bradley "Brad" Pitt (b. 1963), Academy Award-nominated and Golden Globe Award-winning American actor
Harvey L. Pitt (1945-2023), American lawyer, 26th Chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) from August 2001 to February 2003
William Rivers Pitt (1971-2022), American author, editor, and liberal political activist, born in Washington, D.C., son of Charles Redding Pitt
Charles Redding Pitt (1944-2016), American attorney and chairman of the Alabama Democratic Party
Michael Carmen Pitt (b. 1981), American actor
N. O. Pitt, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from North Carolina, 1928 18
Milton B. Pitt, American politician, Speaker of the Iowa State House of Representatives, 1917-18 18
Mark B. Pitt, American politician, Member of North Carolina State House of Representatives from Edgecombe County, 1905-12 18
Justin D. Pitt, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Tennessee, 2008 18
John R. W. Pitt, American politician, Member of Maryland State House of Delegates from Dorchester County, 1823 18
... (Another 21 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Pitt family +

HMAS Sydney II

Mr. William Harold Pitt (1920-1941), Australian Able Seaman from Lewisham, New South Wales, Australia, who sailed into battle aboard HMAS Sydney II and died in the sinking 19

Pan Am Flight 103 (Lockerbie)

James Andrew Campbell Pitt (1964-1988), American Student from South Hadley, Massachusetts, America, who flew aboard the Pan Am Flight 103 from Frankfurt to Detroit, known as the Lockerbie bombing in 1988 and died 20

The Pitt Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Per ardua liberi
Motto Translation: Free thro' difficulties.

Citations +

Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
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)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
"Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
"UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
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)
Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's Retrieved January 6th 2023, retrieved from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 5th March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/competitor
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2014, November 24) Albion voyage to New South Wales, Australia in 1828 with 192 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/albion/1828
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 7th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/bengal-merchant
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 7th February 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/asia/1837
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
Pilgrim Ship Lists Early 1600's retrieved 29th September 2021. Retrieved from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 21) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
HMAS Sydney II, Finding Sydney Foundation - Roll of Honour. (Retrieved 2014, April 24) . Retrieved from http://www.findingsydney.com/roll.asp
Pan Am Flight 103's victims: A list of those killed 25 years ago | syracuse.com. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2013/12/pan_am_flight_103s_victims_a_list_of_those_killed_25_years_ago.html