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

Petrou, 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 Petrou surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Petrou in America

Petrou is the 55619th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Petrou surname appeared 369 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Petrou.

We can also compare 2010 data for Petrou 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 Petrou

The surname Petrou has its origins in Greece, with records dating back to the 15th century. It is derived from the Greek name Petros, meaning "rock" or "stone." The name likely originated in the mountainous regions of Greece, where rocky terrain was a common feature.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Petrou can be found in a manuscript from the Monastery of St. John the Baptist on the island of Patmos, dating back to 1487. The document mentions a certain Ioannis Petrou, a monk residing at the monastery.

In the 16th century, the name appeared in various historical records from the regions of Peloponnese and Central Greece. For example, a certain Georgios Petrou was mentioned in a land registry from the village of Nemea in 1543.

During the Byzantine era, the surname Petrou was sometimes associated with individuals who worked in professions related to stone or masonry. For instance, a document from the city of Thessaloniki in 1612 mentions a stonemason named Theodoulos Petrou.

One of the earliest known bearers of the surname Petrou was Mikhail Petrou, a Greek scholar and theologian who lived from 1570 to 1644. He was a prominent figure in the Orthodox Church and served as the Archbishop of Crete.

In the 18th century, the name Petrou appeared in historical records from the island of Cyprus. A notable figure from this period was Ioannis Petrou, a merchant and landowner who lived from 1725 to 1798. He was known for his involvement in the trade of Cypriot wines and agricultural products.

Another notable individual with the surname Petrou was Georgios Petrou, a Greek military officer and revolutionary who lived from 1798 to 1866. He played a significant role in the Greek War of Independence against the Ottoman Empire.

During the 19th century, the surname Petrou was found among Greek communities in various parts of the Ottoman Empire, including Asia Minor and Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul). One prominent figure from this period was Konstantinos Petrou, a Greek businessman and philanthropist who lived from 1830 to 1912. He was known for his contributions to education and the establishment of schools in the city of Smyrna (modern-day Izmir).

Another notable bearer of the surname Petrou was Ioannis Petrou, a Greek artist and painter who lived from 1876 to 1966. He was renowned for his depictions of traditional Greek life and landscapes, and his works are displayed in many museums and galleries throughout Greece.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Petrou

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

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

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

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