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

Petrakis, 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 Petrakis surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Petrakis in America

Petrakis is the 40554th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Petrakis surname appeared 539 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Petrakis.

We can also compare 2010 data for Petrakis 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 Petrakis

The surname Petrakis originated in Greece, with roots that can be traced back to the Byzantine era. It is believed to have been derived from the Greek word "petra," meaning "rock" or "stone," indicating that the name likely referred to someone who lived near a rocky area or worked with stone.

Petrakis is a patronymic surname, meaning it was initially formed by adding the Greek suffix "-akis" to the root word "Petra." This suffix was commonly used to indicate "son of" or "descendant of." Therefore, the earliest bearers of the name Petrakis were likely the descendants of an individual known as Petros, which is the Greek form of the name Peter.

One of the earliest known records of the name Petrakis can be found in the archives of the Monastery of Vatopedi on Mount Athos, Greece, dating back to the 15th century. The name is mentioned in a manuscript detailing land transactions and property ownership in the region.

During the Ottoman period in Greece, which lasted from the 15th to the 19th century, the Petrakis surname was particularly prevalent in the Peloponnese region, specifically in the areas around Kalamata and Sparta. This suggests that the name may have originated or gained prominence in these areas.

Notable individuals with the surname Petrakis throughout history include:

1. Ioannis Petrakis (1872-1957), a Greek military officer and politician who served as Prime Minister of Greece in 1926.
2. Georgios Petrakis (1901-1975), a Greek writer and novelist known for his works exploring social and political themes in 20th century Greece.
3. Panagiotis Petrakis (1924-2005), a Greek sculptor and artist renowned for his works in bronze and marble.
4. Konstantinos Petrakis (born 1943), a Greek actor and director best known for his roles in various Greek television series and films.
5. Maria Petrakis (born 1965), a Greek-American author and writer whose works often explore themes of identity and cultural heritage.

It is worth noting that variations in spelling, such as Petraki, Petrakos, or Petrakakis, may also be encountered, as surnames were often subject to regional variations and transliterations over time.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Petrakis

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

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 Petrakis 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 Petrakis 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 Petrakis was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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