Explore the Family Name Punnett

The meaning of Punnett

English: 1. nickname for someone with a sharp tongue, from Middle English poinaunt, punyant ‘sharp, piercing’ (Old French puignant, poignant ‘stinging, biting’). 2. nickname from Anglo-Norman French poignant ‘striker, fighter’ (a derivative of poing ‘fist’).

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Punnett in the United States?

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Punnett has seen a rise in popularity over the years. In 2000, it was ranked as the 146,011th most common name in the United States, and by 2010 it had climbed to 135,593rd place. This equates to a 7.14% increase in rank. The count of individuals bearing this surname has also grown from 104 in 2000 to 124 in 2010, reflecting an increase of 19.23%. However, the proportion of people with the Punnett surname per 100,000 remained steady at 0.04 between both census years.

	2000	2010	Change
Rank	#146,011	#135,593	7.14%
Count	104	124	19.23%
Proportion per 100k	0.04	0.04	0%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Punnett

The ethnic identity associated with the surname Punnett has also seen changes according to the Decennial U.S. Census. In 2000, 62.50% of those with the surname identified as White, but this decreased by 5.81% to 58.87% by 2010. Meanwhile, the percentage of those identifying as Black increased from 23.08% in 2000 to 29.03% in 2010, registering a 25.78% growth. Individuals identifying as Hispanic showed a decrease from 12.50% in 2000 to 8.06% in 2010, marking a significant reduction of 35.52%. The data for Asian/Pacific Islander and American Indian/Alaskan Native remained constant, with no individuals from these ethnic groups carrying the Punnett surname in either census year.

	2000	2010	Change
White	62.5%	58.87%	-5.81%
Black	23.08%	29.03%	25.78%
Hispanic	12.5%	8.06%	-35.52%
Asian/Pacific Islander	0%	0%	0%
Two or More Races	0%	0%	0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native	0%	0%	0%