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

Petree, 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 Petree surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Petree in America

Petree is the 10473rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Petree surname appeared 3,067 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 Petree.

We can also compare 2010 data for Petree 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 Petree

The surname Petree is of French origin, derived from the Old French word "pierre," meaning "stone." It is believed to have originated in the regions of Normandy and Brittany in France during the Middle Ages.

The name was likely initially used as a descriptive surname, referring to someone who lived near a prominent stone or rock formation, or perhaps a stonemason or quarry worker. In some cases, it may have been a topographic name, referring to a person who lived in a stony or rocky area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Petree can be found in the 13th century, when a man named Robert Petree was mentioned in a charter from Normandy dated around 1230.

During the medieval period, the name appeared in various spellings, including Pietree, Peitree, and Peytrée, reflecting the regional dialects and variations in spelling at the time.

In the 14th century, a man named Jean Petree (c. 1320 - c. 1390) was a prominent merchant and landowner in the town of Rouen, Normandy. His descendants continued to use the surname and contributed to its spread throughout the region.

The surname Petree also has a connection to place names, particularly in Normandy and Brittany, where there are several villages and hamlets with names derived from the word "pierre," such as Pierrefitte and Pierrepont.

In the 16th century, a notable figure with the surname Petree was Jacques Petree (c. 1520 - 1592), a French Protestant theologian and author who lived during the Protestant Reformation.

Another historical figure was Pierre Petree (1598 - 1677), a French explorer and fur trader who traveled to New France (now Canada) and established trading relationships with indigenous tribes in the Great Lakes region.

In the 17th century, members of the Petree family migrated from France to other parts of Europe and the New World, contributing to the spread and diversity of the surname.

One prominent individual was Robert Petree (c. 1640 - 1705), an English writer and poet who was part of the literary circle of Samuel Pepys and John Dryden in London.

Overall, the surname Petree has a rich history spanning several centuries and regions, with its origins deeply rooted in the French language and culture, particularly in the provinces of Normandy and Brittany.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Petree

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

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

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

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