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

Petterson, 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 Petterson surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Petterson in America

Petterson is the 10280th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Petterson surname appeared 3,136 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 Petterson.

We can also compare 2010 data for Petterson 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 Petterson

The surname Petterson originated in Scandinavia, specifically in Sweden and Norway. It is a patronymic name, meaning it was derived from the first name of the father or an ancestor. In this case, the name is derived from the personal name Peter, which comes from the Greek word "Petros" meaning "rock."

The earliest recorded instances of the name Petterson date back to the 13th century in Sweden and Norway. It was a common surname among farmers, fishermen, and other working-class families in rural areas. The name was often spelled differently, such as Pedersson, Pederzen, or Petersson, depending on the region and the language variations.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Petterson was Erland Pettersson, a Swedish farmer who lived in the late 13th century. Historical records mention him in connection with a land dispute in the village of Stora Mellösa, in the province of Östergötland, Sweden.

In the 14th century, the name Petterson appeared in several historical documents and records in Norway, such as the Diplomatarium Norvegicum, a collection of medieval Norwegian diplomas and charters. One notable individual was Bjørn Pettersson, a Norwegian nobleman who owned lands in the region of Østfold in the late 1300s.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the surname Petterson became more widespread in both Sweden and Norway. In Sweden, one of the most famous individuals with this name was Johan Pettersson (1579-1644), a Swedish priest and author who wrote several theological works.

In Norway, a notable figure was Hans Pettersson (1592-1654), a Norwegian merchant and shipowner from Bergen. He was involved in the lucrative trade with the Netherlands and other European countries, and his ships sailed as far as the Mediterranean.

Another prominent individual with the surname Petterson was Anders Pettersson (1685-1761), a Swedish farmer and inventor from the province of Småland. He is credited with inventing the seed drill, a revolutionary agricultural tool that greatly improved crop yields and efficiency in farming.

As the name spread across Scandinavia, it also found its way to other parts of Europe and eventually to the Americas through migration. Today, the surname Petterson is still commonly found in Sweden, Norway, and other parts of the world with significant Scandinavian populations.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Petterson

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

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

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

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