Find out how popular the last name Petersheim is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Petersheim.

Petersheim, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Petersheim surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Petersheim in America

Petersheim is the 13042nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Petersheim surname appeared 2,354 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Petersheim.

We can also compare 2010 data for Petersheim to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Petersheim

The surname Petersheim is of German origin and can be traced back to the 16th century. It is believed to have originated from the town of Petersheim, located in the Rhineland-Palatinate region of western Germany. The name is a combination of the German words "Peter" (meaning "rock") and "heim" (meaning "home" or "homestead").

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Petersheim can be found in the parish records of the village of Petersheim itself, dating back to the late 1500s. These records mention several families with the surname, suggesting that the name was already well-established in the area at that time.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, many individuals with the surname Petersheim emigrated from Germany to other parts of Europe and North America, seeking new opportunities or fleeing religious persecution. Some notable examples include Johann Petersheim (1625-1698), a Mennonite minister who settled in the Netherlands, and Hans Petersheim (1712-1782), who was among the first Petersheims to arrive in Pennsylvania, United States.

In the 19th century, the Petersheim surname appeared in various historical records across Europe and North America. One notable individual was Friedrich Petersheim (1820-1892), a German painter and engraver known for his landscapes and portraits. Another was David Petersheim (1842-1912), a Mennonite farmer and minister who lived in Ohio, United States.

Other notable individuals with the surname Petersheim include:

1. Gottfried Petersheim (1872-1945), a German architect and urban planner who designed several buildings in Berlin.
2. Anna Petersheim (1898-1976), an American writer and poet who published several collections of poetry and short stories.
3. Heinrich Petersheim (1902-1987), a German-born American artist and illustrator known for his work in children's literature.
4. Eliza Petersheim (1923-2008), a Canadian politician and the first woman elected to the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba.
5. Michael Petersheim (born 1956), an American author and novelist who writes Amish-themed fiction.

While the Petersheim surname is relatively uncommon today, it continues to be found in various parts of the world, particularly in areas with German or Mennonite communities.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Petersheim

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Petersheim.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Petersheim was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Petersheim has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Petersheim was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Petersheim, please contact us.

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