2000
#9,859
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,024
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.12
Rare Last name
Petterson
A patronymic surname derived from the given name Peter, meaning "son of Peter."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,119 Americans carry the last name Petterson. That puts it at #11,132 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.91 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 109,892 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Petterson 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 Petterson with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.1K
1 in 109,892
Census rank
#11,132
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,720 bearers of the surname Petterson in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.91 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11132nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Petterson, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.9%. The next largest groups are Black (9.9%) and Hispanic (5.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Petterson
Among Census respondents with the surname Petterson, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.9%. The next largest groups are Black (9.9%) and Hispanic (5.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Petterson 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 Petterson surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White78.9% · 2,147
- Black or African American9.9% · 270
- Hispanic or Latino5.8% · 157
- Two or more races3.4% · 92
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 28
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 26
Timeline
Historical Census data for Petterson
Petterson 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
#10,280
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,136
+112 bearers (+3.7%)
Per 100,000 1.06
Rank movement Down 421 places
2020
#11,132
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,720
-416 bearers (-13.3%)
Per 100,000 0.91
Rank movement Down 852 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,859 | 3,024 | 1.12 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,280 | 3,136 | 1.06 | +112 bearers (+3.7%) | Down 421 places |
| 2020 | #11,132 | 2,720 | 0.91 | -416 bearers (-13.3%) | Down 852 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 Petterson 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 | #10,280 | #11,132 | -8.3% |
| Count | 3,136 | 2,720 | -13.3% |
| Per 100K | 1.06 | 0.91 | -14.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Petterson bearers went from 3,136 to 2,720 (-13.3% change). The surname moved down 852 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,280 to #11,132.
FAQ
Petterson surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Petterson?
Name Census estimates that about 3,119 living Americans carry the surname Petterson. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 109,892 residents.
How common is Petterson?
Petterson ranks #11,132 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.91 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,720 people with the surname Petterson. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,119), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.91 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.91 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Petterson.
Has Petterson become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Petterson went from 3,136 recorded bearers to 2,720. That is a decrease of 416 (-13.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #10,280 to #11,132.
What does the Census say about the background of Petterson?
Among Census respondents with the surname Petterson, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.9%. The next largest groups are Black (9.9%) and Hispanic (5.8%). 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 Petterson in the 2020 Census, accounting for 78.9% (2,147 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Petterson appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (78.9%), Black (9.9%), Hispanic (5.8%). 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 Petterson (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 Petterson mean?
A patronymic surname derived from the given name Peter, meaning "son of Peter." 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 Petterson (0.91 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 share the surname Petterson?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.