PETERSON
Peterson is a surname of mixed English, Greek and Scottish provenance, classed as a patronymic formation derived from the personal name Peter. The given name Peter ultimately stems from the Greek Petros, meaning “rock” or “stone”, a designation famously employed by Christ for the apostle Peter as the foundational “rock” of the Church.
The surname signifies “son of Peter”, a pattern typical of patronymic surnames that developed throughout the British Isles. In Scotland, the name is recorded within a Gaelic‑speaking, Celtic cultural milieu, and its bearers were traditionally Christian. Early documentary evidence includes the entry of Ralph Peter in the Hertford pipe rolls of 1195, during the reign of King Richard I, illustrating the medieval emergence of the form.
Peterson belongs to a broad family of surnames derived from the saintly name, encompassing variants such as Peters, Peres, Perez, Peers and numerous diminutives across Europe. Scholars estimate that more than seven hundred orthographic versions exist, reflecting the name’s diffusion after the Crusades, when the cult of Saint Peter gained considerable popularity. Consequently, the surname appears in records from England (Luke Petre, 1282; William Petres, 1327), Spain (Andres Guillen Perez, 1565), Mexico (Martina Josepha Perez, 1775) and the United States (Antonio Diego Peres, 1864).
Heraldic tradition assigns to the Peterson family a distinctive coat of arms: a red field bearing a gold cross flory positioned between four gold fleur‑de‑lis. This emblem underscores the historical continuity of the surname within the aristocratic and genealogical record of the United Kingdom.
Typical given names associated with the Peterson surname
Male
- Andrew
- David
- James
- John
- Mark
- Michael
- Paul
- Richard
- Robert
- Thomas
Female
- Angela
- Elizabeth
- Emma
- Jacqueline
- Jane
- Jennifer
- Karen
- Laura
- Margaret
- Mary
- Michelle
- Rebecca
- Sarah
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
- Peter
- Paterson
- Patersen
- Petersone
- Patersn
- Patherson
- Patreson
- Pattarson
- Pattersen
- Patterson
- Pattersson
- Patterston
- Pattirson
- Pattrson
- Peaterson
- Pedersen
- Pederson
- Pedersson
- Peeterson
- Peitersen
- Peterse
- Petersen
- Petersohn
- Petersons
- Peterssen
- Petersson
- Peterston
- Peteson
- Pettersen
- Petterson
- Petterssen
- Pettersson
- Petursson
- Pieterse
- Pietersen
- Pieterson
- Pietersz
- Pitterson
- Potterson
- Patison
- Pattison
- Peaters
- Peterken
- Peters
- Petrusson
- Petters
- Pettieson
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Peterson in...
Braille
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Morse
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Semaphore
There are approximately 4,104 people named Peterson in the UK. That makes it roughly the 2,269th most common surname in Britain. Around 63 in a million people in Britain are named Peterson.
Surname type: From given name or forename
Origin: Celtic
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: Scotland
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: Gaelic
Famous people named Peterson
- Jordan Peterson - Canadian clinical psychologist, cultural critic, and professor of psychology
- Scott Peterson - American murderer
- Cassandra Peterson - American actress and TV hostess
- Adrian Peterson - American football running back
- Daystar Peterson - Canadian rapper and singer
- Michael Peterson - American novelist convicted of manslaughter
- Gilles Peterson - DJ and radio presenter
- Dale Peterson - American writer
- William Peterson - President of McGill University, 1895 to 1919 (1856 to 1921)
- Andrew Peterson - American football player
- Eveline Peterson - Badminton player (1877 to 1)
- Jan Peterson - Canadian writer
- Frank Peterson - Football player
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.