Explore the Family Name Prewitt
The meaning of Prewitt
English (Warwickshire): diminutive of Prew, Prue or Prow.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Prewitt in the United States?
According to the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname "Prewitt" saw a slight decline from 2000 to 2010 in the United States. In 2000, it was ranked as the 3,915 most common surname but dropped to the 4,234th position by 2010, reflecting an 8.15% decrease in its rank. Despite this drop in ranking, the actual count of individuals bearing the Prewitt surname slightly increased from 8,341 in 2000 to 8,371 in 2010, a modest growth of 0.36%. The proportion of people with this surname per 100,000 also decreased by about 8.09%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #3,915 | #4,234 | -8.15% |
| Count | 8,341 | 8,371 | 0.36% |
| Proportion per 100k | 3.09 | 2.84 | -8.09% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Prewitt
In terms of ethnic identity, the Decennial U.S. Census data shows a diverse distribution for the Prewitt surname between 2000 and 2010. The majority identified as White, although this group witnessed a small decrease from 78.40% to 75.74% over the decade. The Black community representing the Prewitt surname saw a rise from 18.08% to 19.47%. Notably, all other ethnic groups showed increases in their proportions. The Asian/Pacific Islander group rose from 0.24% to 0.39%, those identifying with two or more races increased from 1.46% to 1.72%, and the Hispanic group grew from 1.22% to 1.86%. Lastly, the American Indian and Alaskan Native group also saw an increase from 0.60% to 0.81%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 78.4% | 75.74% | -3.39% |
| Black | 18.08% | 19.47% | 7.69% |
| Hispanic | 1.22% | 1.86% | 52.46% |
| Two or More Races | 1.46% | 1.72% | 17.81% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.6% | 0.81% | 35% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.24% | 0.39% | 62.5% |
Prewitt ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Prewitt is British & Irish, which comprises 58.0% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (22.6%) and Eastern European (3.6%). Additional ancestries include Scandinavian, Nigerian, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, and Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 58.0% |
| French & German | 22.6% |
| Eastern European | 3.6% |
| Other | 15.9% |
Possible origins of the surname Prewitt
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Prewitt have recent ancestry locations all within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Lancashire, United Kingdom | 92.40% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 92.40% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 92.40% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 91.90% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 91.90% |
What Prewitt haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Prewitt is R-U152, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-U152 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include I-DF29 and E-M180, which are predominantly found among people with European and Sub-Saharan African ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Agee, Musselman, Castleberry, Boynton, Bonham, Brubaker, Kistler, Shirk, Camp, Strickler.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Prewitt surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Prewitt have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Prewitt" Surname 49.0%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Prewitt" Surname 20.5%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Prewitt" Surname 28.0%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Prewitt" Surname 15.6%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Prewitt?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Prewitt are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition