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Peter Family History

Peter Name Meaning

English Scottish German Dutch French (Alsace and Lorraine) Czech (Moravian) Slovak Croatian and Slovenian; Hungarian (Péter): from the personal name Peter (Greek Petros from petra ‘rock’). The personal name was popular throughout Christian Europe in the Middle Ages having been bestowed by Christ as a byname on the apostle Simon bar Jonah the brother of Andrew. The name was chosen by Christ for its symbolic significance (John 42 Matt. 118); Saint Peter is regarded as the founding head of the Christian Church in view of Christ's saying ‘Thou art Peter and upon this rock I will build my Church’. In Christian Germany in the early Middle Ages this was the most frequent personal name of non-ancient Germanic origin until the 14th century. In North America this surname has also absorbed cognates from other languages for example Czech Petr Polish Piotr and Pietr Albanian Pjetri (from the personal name Pjetër definite form Pjetri) and also their derivatives (see examples at Peterson ). It has also been adopted as a surname by Ashkenazic Jews.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022

Similar surnames: Petek, Peters, Petter, Pester, Pete, Peer, Deter, Peper, Petr, Reder

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Where is the Peter family from?

You can see how Peter families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Peter family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Peter families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 233 Peter families living in Ontario. This was about 24% of all the recorded Peter's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Peter families in 1911.

Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Peter surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

View Census Data for Peter

What did your Peter ancestors do for a living?

View Census Data for Peter | Data not to scale

Top Male Occupations In 1921

Farmer
37%
Labourer
12%
Fisherman
10%
Laborer
10%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

Farmer
20%
Cannery Hand
20%
Student
12%
Servant
12%

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What Peter family records will you find?

Census Records
There are 155,000 census records available for the last name Peter. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Peter census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.
Search Canadian census records for Peter
Passenger Lists
There are 57,000 immigration records available for the last name Peter. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.
View all Peter immigration records
Draft Cards
There are 33,000 military records available for the last name Peter. For the veterans among your Peter ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.
View all Peter military records

Census Records

There are 155,000 census records available for the last name Peter. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Peter census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Peter

Passenger Lists

There are 57,000 immigration records available for the last name Peter. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Peter immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 33,000 military records available for the last name Peter. For the veterans among your Peter ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Peter military records

You've only scratched the surface of Peter family history

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What is the average Peter lifespan?

Between 1944 and 2004, in the United States, Peter life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Peter in 1944 was 25, and 82 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Peter

Browse profiles of historical people with the Peter last name