Pettit

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. A family name of English origin, carried by many people across generations and countries
2. A hereditary surname of English origin borne by individuals and families in various parts of the world
3. An English-derived family name used to identify a person's lineage within a family line

Etymology: In medieval records, "pettit" is mostly a surname, and it started as a nickname. Anglo-Norman French used "petit" for "small," and a man called Petit or Pettit was likely the little one of his village or family, much as "Short" or "Little" became surnames in English. The surname was common enough in England that it appears in many medieval tax and court records. The spelling "pettit" is an older English form of the French adjective "petit," which in Middle English also meant small, slight, or minor. It is the same stock that gave English "petty," which kept the sense of minor or insignificant. The ultimate origin of the French word is uncertain. Scholars have proposed a Gallo-Romance source, possibly linked to a Celtic or Germanic root meaning "piece," but no proposal is firmly established.