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

Petri, 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 Petri surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Petri in America

Petri is the 10339th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Petri surname appeared 3,115 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 Petri.

We can also compare 2010 data for Petri 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 Petri

The surname Petri has its origins in Italy, dating back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Italian word "Pietro," which is the equivalent of the English name "Peter." The name Petri was likely initially used as a patronymic, meaning "son of Peter."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Petri surname can be found in the historic city of Florence, where a family by the name of Petri is mentioned in documents from the late 1200s. These records suggest that the Petri family had established themselves as prominent citizens within the city's powerful merchant class.

In the 14th century, the Petri name appeared in the renowned Florentine tax records known as the "Catasto," which documented the wealth and assets of the city's residents. These records provide valuable insight into the economic status and influence of families bearing the Petri surname during this period.

The Petri name has also been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One such figure was Jacobus Petri (1445-1521), a Dutch humanist scholar and theologian who played a significant role in the early stages of the Protestant Reformation.

Another prominent bearer of the Petri surname was Laurentius Petri (1499-1573), a Swedish theologian and reformer who is regarded as one of the founders of the Lutheran Church in Sweden. He was instrumental in translating the Bible into Swedish and establishing the country's educational system.

In the realm of science, the name Petri is closely linked to the German bacteriologist Julius Richard Petri (1852-1921), who is best known for his invention of the Petri dish, a crucial tool in the study and cultivation of microorganisms.

The Petri surname has also been associated with notable artists and intellectuals, such as the Italian sculptor and architect Gian Lorenzo Bernini (1598-1680), whose full name was Giovanni Lorenzo Bernini, but who was often referred to as Gian Lorenzo Petri.

Throughout its long history, the Petri surname has undergone various spelling variations, including Petrie, Petre, and Pettri, reflecting the regional dialects and linguistic influences of the areas where it was prevalent.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Petri

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

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

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

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