Pettis History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The distinguished surname Pettis 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 Pettis 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 Pettis is derived from the Old English words pytt, which means pit. Pettis 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 Pettis family

The surname Pettis 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 Pettis family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Pettis 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 Pettis History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Pettis 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 Pettis family

Prominent in the family at this time was John Pitts (1560-1616), an English Roman Catholic scholar and writer; Arthur Pits (1557-1634), and English Catholic priest from Iffley; John Pits or Pitseus (1560-1616), English Catholic divine and biographer from Alton, Hampshire; Sir William Pitt (1559-1636), an English courtier and politician, Member of Parliament for Wareham (1614-1625); Sir James Pytts of Kyre, High Sheriff of Worcestershire; and his son, Edward Pytts (1606-1672), an English politician, Member of Parliament for Worcestershire in 1654 and for Leominster in 1660; Edward Pitt (died 1643), an English landowner and politician, Member...
Another 95 words (7 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Pettis Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Pettis Ranking

In the United States, the name Pettis is the 4,282^nd most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. 4

Migration of the Pettis family to Ireland

Some of the Pettis 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.

Pettis migration to the United States +

The records on immigrants and ships' passengers show a number of people bearing the name Pettis:

Pettis Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Step Pettis, who arrived in Virginia in 1637 5
Henry Pettis, who landed in Virginia in 1666 5

Contemporary Notables of the name Pettis (post 1700) +

Madison Michelle Pettis, American teen actress
Mark Pettis (b. 1950), American Republican politician 6
Austin Pettis (b. 1988), American football wide receiver
Spencer Darwin Pettis (1802-1831), U.S. Representative from Missouri
Shirley Neil Pettis (b. 1924), U.S. Representative from California
Bridget Pettis (b. 1971), former American professional basketball player
Pierce Pettis, American singer/songwriter
Jerry Lyle Pettis (1916-1975), American politician and a Congressman from California
Anthony Pettis (b. 1987), American mixed martial artist
Billy James Pettis (1913-1979), American mathematician
... (Another 1 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

The Pettis 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/
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)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2011, November 4) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html