# Pettigrew (surname)

Source: https://namelineage.com/surname/pettigrew/  
Publisher: Name Lineage. Counts from the US Census Bureau; origin and etymology from Wiktionary; bearers from Wikidata. Data updated 2026-11-11.

A surname.

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Origin | Norman |
| Type | nickname, from a description or nickname of an ancestor |
| People in the US (2010 Census) | 7,958 |
| US rank (2010) | 4,458 of 162,253 |
| How often | about 1 in every 38,797 people |
| Change since 2000 | +6.1% (7,500 in 2000) |
| Pronunciation | not recorded |
| Variant spellings | Pettigru, Pettegre, Petegre, Petigrew, Petticrew, Petegrew, Pettygrew |

## Etymology

Unknown, although possibly from the French phrase "petit cru" (small growth) from Anglo-Norman French "petit creu", thus as a nickname for a small/short man. Other interpretations include from the French phrase "pie de grue" (crane's foot), i.e., someone with long legs (cf. pedigree, from Anglo-French "pe de gru", a variant of Old French pied de gru, "foot of a crane"). Attested from the 13th century as an English surname.

## Who carries it

Share of people named Pettigrew in the 2010 US Census by the Census's own race and ethnicity groups. The Census suppresses a share when the count behind it is small.

| Group | Share |
|---|---|
| White (not Hispanic) | 61% |
| Black (not Hispanic) | 31% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 2.3% |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 0.5% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 2.5% |
| Two or more races | 3.2% |

## Where

Wikidata records people named Pettigrew in the United States.

## People named Pettigrew

- Antonio Pettigrew, American sprint athlete (1967–2010)
- J. Johnston Pettigrew, American general (1828-1863)
- Richard F. Pettigrew, American politician (1848–1926)
- Hetty Pettigrew, Art model

## Similar surnames

Pitcher, Pitzer, Peddicord, Podgorski, Patzer, Pitcairn.

## How to read these numbers

A Census count is people alive and counted in 2010, not births, and names occurring fewer than 100 times are not published at all. Ethnicity shares are the Census's own categories.