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Petterson Family History

Petterson Name Meaning

Americanized form (and a rare Swedish variant) of Swedish Pettersson . This is also an Americanized form of the Norwegian and Danish cognate Pettersen . Compare Peterson

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


Similar surnames: Pettersen, Peterson, Otterson, Petersen, Pederson, Bertelson

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Petterson family from?

You can see how Petterson families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Petterson family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Petterson families were found in USA in 1920. In 1911 there were 209 Petterson families living in Ontario. This was about 34% of all the recorded Petterson's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Petterson families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Petterson surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Petterson ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Teacher were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Petterson. 44% of Petterson men worked as a Farmer and 19% of Petterson women worked as a Teacher. Some less common occupations for Americans named Petterson were Miner and Nurse. .

View Census Data for Petterson | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1921

  • Farmer
    44%
  • Labourer
    13%
  • Laborer
    7%
  • Miner
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Teacher
    19%
  • Stenographer
    14%
  • Clerk
    14%
  • Nurse
    10%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Petterson family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 65,000 census records available for the last name Petterson. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Petterson census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Petterson

Passenger Lists

There are 75,000 immigration records available for the last name Petterson. 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 Petterson immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 5,000 military records available for the last name Petterson. For the veterans among your Petterson ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Petterson military records

You've only scratched the surface of Petterson family history

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What is the average Petterson lifespan?

Between 1946 and 2004, in the United States, Petterson life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1952, and highest in 1990. The average life expectancy for Petterson in 1946 was 47, and 70 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Petterson

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Petterson family tree

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