2010
#151,532
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Petreski
A surname originating from the name Peter, meaning "rock" or "stone".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 132 Americans carry the last name Petreski. That puts it at #145,757 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,596,624 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Petreski surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
132
1 in 2,596,624
Census rank
#145,757
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
115
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 115 bearers of the surname Petreski in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145757th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Petreski, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.6%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Petreski
The surname Petreski originated in the Slavic regions of the Balkans, particularly in North Macedonia and neighboring areas. Its roots can be traced back to the late Middle Ages, around the 14th or 15th century. The name likely derives from the Slavic masculine given name Petar, which is the equivalent of Peter in English, and the suffix "-ski" denoting origin or belonging.
Petreski was initially a patronymic surname, indicating that the bearer was the son or descendant of someone named Petar. This naming convention was common in Slavic cultures, where surnames were often derived from a person's father's given name or occupation. The earliest records of the surname Petreski can be found in historical documents and church registers from the region.
One of the earliest known references to the name Petreski appears in a 16th-century manuscript from the Monastery of Lesnovo in North Macedonia, where a monk named Petreski is mentioned. Another early record is from the 17th century, where a certain Petar Petreski is listed as a landowner in the village of Negotino, now part of North Macedonia.
In the 18th century, the surname Petreski gained more prominence as several individuals bearing this name achieved notable positions. For instance, Jovan Petreski (1720-1795) was a renowned writer and scholar from the town of Kručevo, who authored several important works on Slavic literature and history.
Another notable figure was Dimitar Petreski (1780-1854), a merchant and philanthropist from Ohrid, who funded the construction of several churches and schools in the region. His son, Mihailo Petreski (1815-1892), followed in his footsteps and became a prominent benefactor, supporting educational initiatives and cultural institutions.
In the 19th century, the Petreski surname began to spread beyond the Balkans as individuals migrated to other parts of Europe and the Americas. One such individual was Vasil Petreski (1845-1920), a skilled artisan and woodcarver who settled in Vienna, Austria, and gained recognition for his intricate woodwork adorning several churches and public buildings.
Throughout history, the Petreski surname has been associated with various place names and localities in the Balkan region, such as Petreski Rid (Petreski Ridge) in North Macedonia, and Petreski Potok (Petreski Creek) in Bulgaria. These toponyms likely originated from individuals bearing the Petreski surname who resided or owned land in those areas.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Petreski
Among Census respondents with the surname Petreski, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.6%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Petreski bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Petreski surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.7% · 110
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 3
- Two or more races1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Petreski
Petreski appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#145,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
+7 bearers (+6.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 5,775 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #151,532 | 108 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #145,757 | 115 | 0.04 | +7 bearers (+6.5%) | Up 5,775 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Petreski surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #151,532 | #145,757 | 3.8% |
| Count | 108 | 115 | 6.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Petreski bearers went from 108 to 115 (+6.5% change). The surname moved up 5,775 positions in the national ranking, going from #151,532 to #145,757.
FAQ
Petreski surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Petreski?
Name Census estimates that about 132 living Americans carry the surname Petreski. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,596,624 residents.
How common is Petreski?
Petreski ranks #145,757 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 115 people with the surname Petreski. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (132), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Petreski.
Has Petreski become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Petreski went from 108 recorded bearers to 115. That is an increase of 7 (+6.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #151,532 to #145,757.
What does the Census say about the background of Petreski?
Among Census respondents with the surname Petreski, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.6%) and Two or More Races (1.7%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Petreski in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.7% (110 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Petreski appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.7%), Hispanic (2.6%), Two or More Races (1.7%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Petreski (2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Petreski mean?
A surname originating from the name Peter, meaning "rock" or "stone". The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Petreski (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the last name Petreski?
For a quick modern take, check how many people are called Petreski on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.