Petina
A feminine variant of the name Petina of disputed origin.
Name Census estimates that about 106 living Americans carry the first name Petina. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Petina today is around 53 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Petina births was 1973 (19 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Petina. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
106
~ 1 in 3,233,531 Americans
Peak year
1973
19 babies that year
Average age
53
years old
1981 SSA rank
#10,009
Tracked since 1965
Popularity
Petina: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Petina from the 1960s through to the 1980s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 75 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1970s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Petina by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Petina during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Petina
The given name Petina is believed to have its origins in the Latin language. It is derived from the Latin word "petinus," which means "rock" or "stone." The earliest recorded use of this name dates back to ancient Roman times, when it was given to individuals, particularly those born in rocky or mountainous regions.
One of the earliest known references to the name Petina can be found in the writings of the Roman historian Livy, who lived from 59 BC to 17 AD. In his historical accounts, Livy mentioned a Roman soldier named Petina who fought bravely in the Punic Wars against Carthage.
During the Middle Ages, the name Petina gained popularity among certain Christian communities, particularly those located in areas with rocky terrain or near quarries. It was believed that the name symbolized strength, resilience, and a connection to the earth.
One notable individual named Petina was Petina of Blois, a 12th-century French noblewoman known for her patronage of the arts and her support of local monasteries. She lived from approximately 1090 to 1160.
In the Renaissance period, the name Petina saw a resurgence in Italy, where it was associated with artists and sculptors working with stone and marble. One such artist was Petina Fiorentino, a renowned sculptor from Florence who lived from 1445 to 1515 and was commissioned to create several important works for churches and noble families.
During the 17th century, a Dutch explorer named Petina van der Meer gained fame for her expeditions to the East Indies and her detailed accounts of the cultures and landscapes she encountered. She lived from 1620 to 1688.
In more recent times, Petina Gappah, a Zimbabwean lawyer and author, has gained recognition for her novels and short stories exploring themes of identity, colonialism, and social justice. She was born in 1971 and continues to write and publish acclaimed works.
While the name Petina may not be as common today as it once was, its historical roots and associations with strength, resilience, and artistic expression make it a unique and meaningful choice for those seeking a name with a rich cultural heritage.
People
Petina + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Petina as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with P
Other first names starting with P with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Petina: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Petina?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 106 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Petina going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 3,233,531 US residents.
Is Petina a common name?
We classify Petina as "Very Rare". It ranks above 65.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 119 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Petina most popular?
The single biggest year for Petina was 1973, when 19 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Petina is about 53 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Petina a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Petina in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.