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

Petre, 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 Petre surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Petre in America

Petre is the 18478th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Petre surname appeared 1,496 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 Petre.

We can also compare 2010 data for Petre 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 Petre

The surname Petre originates from England, with its roots dating back to the late 12th century. It is derived from the Old French name "Pierre" or "Piere," which itself comes from the Greek name "Petros," meaning "rock" or "stone." The name was likely introduced to England by Norman settlers after the Norman Conquest of 1066.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Petre can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Northamptonshire and Oxfordshire from the late 12th century, where it was spelled as "Petre" or "Petri." The name was also mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086, although it was recorded as a first name rather than a surname.

In the 13th and 14th centuries, the Petre family was prominent in the county of Essex, where they held lands and estates. One notable member of the family was Sir William Petre (1505-1572), who served as a secretary to four successive Tudor monarchs, including Henry VIII, Edward VI, Mary I, and Elizabeth I.

Another significant figure bearing the Petre surname was Edward Petre (1631-1699), a Jesuit priest and philosopher who played a crucial role in the Catholic intellectual circles of the 17th century. He was a prolific writer and was known for his works on philosophy, theology, and mathematics.

In the 18th century, the Petre family continued to hold significant influence and wealth in Essex. Robert Petre (1742-1801), the 9th Baron Petre, was a prominent Catholic landowner and a respected figure in English society. His son, Robert Edward Petre (1783-1858), was a member of parliament and a noted art collector.

The Petre surname has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Petre Hall in Essex, which was the ancestral home of the Petre family for several centuries. The name has also been spelled in various ways throughout history, including Petri, Petre, and Petre.

Other notable individuals with the Petre surname include Sir John Petre (1549-1613), a member of the English gentry and a wealthy landowner in Essex; Henry Petre (1598-1659), a Royalist officer during the English Civil War; and William Petre (1624-1672), an English Catholic priest and scholar.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Petre

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

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

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

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