2000
#3,958
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,234
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.05
Rare Last name
Petrie
A Scottish locational surname derived from a place near Montrose in Angus, likely meaning "rock" or "rocky place."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 9,182 Americans carry the last name Petrie. That puts it at #4,287 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.68 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 37,329 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Petrie 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Petrie with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
9.2K
1 in 37,329
Census rank
#4,287
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
8.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 8,007 bearers of the surname Petrie in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.68 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4287th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Petrie, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.3%. The next largest groups are Black (4.3%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Petrie
The surname Petrie has its origins in Scotland, with its earliest recorded use dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old French word "petrin," meaning a small loaf of bread or a baker's kneading trough. This suggests that the name may have initially been an occupational surname for a baker or someone involved in the baking trade.
In the early records, the name is found with various spellings, such as Petrie, Petre, Petry, and Pettry. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which lists individuals who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. In this document, the name appears as "Robert Petre."
The Petrie surname is closely associated with the Scottish county of Angus, particularly the town of Arbroath. This area was known for its monastic communities and abbeys, where baking and bread production were important activities. It is likely that the name originated from individuals involved in these activities.
During the Middle Ages, the name appears in various Scottish charters and records. For instance, in the Register of the Great Seal of Scotland, there is a mention of "Gilbertus Petry" in 1455 and "Robertus Petry" in 1472, both from the county of Angus.
One of the earliest notable figures with the surname Petrie was George Petrie (c. 1515-1589), a Scottish ecclesiastical lawyer and writer. He served as a Lord of Session and was instrumental in the establishment of the Presbyterian Church in Scotland.
Another prominent individual was Sir William Petrie (1624-1677), a Scottish merchant and politician who served as Lord Provost of Edinburgh from 1674 to 1676. He played a significant role in the city's governance during a turbulent period of Scottish history.
In the field of archaeology, one of the most renowned figures was Sir William Matthew Flinders Petrie (1853-1942), often referred to as the "Father of Palestinian Archaeology." He pioneered systematic archaeological techniques and made significant contributions to the study of ancient Egypt and the Near East.
Other notable individuals with the surname Petrie include William Petrie (1786-1842), a Scottish artist and engraver known for his landscapes and architectural engravings, and Victor Petrie (1888-1946), a Canadian painter and illustrator who captured the landscapes and daily life of the Canadian Prairies.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Petrie
Among Census respondents with the surname Petrie, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.3%. The next largest groups are Black (4.3%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Petrie 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 Petrie surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.3% · 7,074
- Black or African American4.3% · 346
- Two or more races3.2% · 253
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 238
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 60
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 36
Timeline
Historical Census data for Petrie
Petrie appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#4,159
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,520
+286 bearers (+3.5%)
Per 100,000 2.89
Rank movement Down 201 places
2020
#4,287
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,007
-513 bearers (-6.0%)
Per 100,000 2.68
Rank movement Down 128 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,958 | 8,234 | 3.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,159 | 8,520 | 2.89 | +286 bearers (+3.5%) | Down 201 places |
| 2020 | #4,287 | 8,007 | 2.68 | -513 bearers (-6.0%) | Down 128 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 Petrie 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 | #4,159 | #4,287 | -3.1% |
| Count | 8,520 | 8,007 | -6.0% |
| Per 100K | 2.89 | 2.68 | -7.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Petrie bearers went from 8,520 to 8,007 (-6.0% change). The surname moved down 128 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,159 to #4,287.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Petrie
FAQ
Petrie surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Petrie?
Name Census estimates that about 9,182 living Americans carry the surname Petrie. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 37,329 residents.
How common is Petrie?
Petrie ranks #4,287 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.68 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 8,007 people with the surname Petrie. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (9,182), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.68 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.68 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Petrie.
Has Petrie become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Petrie went from 8,520 recorded bearers to 8,007. That is a decrease of 513 (-6.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,159 to #4,287.
What does the Census say about the background of Petrie?
Among Census respondents with the surname Petrie, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.3%. The next largest groups are Black (4.3%) and Two or More Races (3.2%). 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 Petrie in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.3% (7,074 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Petrie appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.3%), Black (4.3%), Two or More Races (3.2%). 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 Petrie (2000, 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 Petrie mean?
A Scottish locational surname derived from a place near Montrose in Angus, likely meaning "rock" or "rocky place." 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 Petrie (2.68 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 are called Petrie?
See how many people are called Petrie on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.