Peterson Family History

Peterson Surname Meaning

English Scottish and German: patronymic from the personal name Peter. In North America this surname has absorbed various cognates and their derivatives from other languages e.g. Norwegian and Danish Pedersen and Pettersen and their Swedish cognates (see 2 below).

Polish Piotrowicz, Slovenian Petrič, Petrovčič, and Petrovič (see Petric, Petrovic). Americanized form (and a less common Swedish variant) of Swedish Petersson, a cognate of 1 above and also of its variant Pettersson.

Compare 1 above.

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

Similar surnames: Person, Peters, Peerson, Pierson, Petersen, Pearson, Petersohn, Paterson, Petterson, Pettersson

1M	Birth, Marriage, and Deaths
233K	Military Records
260K	Immigration Records
1M	Census and Voter Lists
1M	Member Trees

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Where is the Peterson family from?

You can see how Peterson families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Peterson family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Peterson families were found in USA in 1920. In 1911 there were 930 Peterson families living in Alberta. This was about 24% of all the recorded Peterson's in Canada. Alberta had the highest population of Peterson families in 1911.

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

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What did your Peterson ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Housekeeper were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Peterson. 49% of Peterson men worked as a Farmer and 13% of Peterson women worked as a Housekeeper. Some less common occupations for Americans named Peterson were Carpenter and Stenographer.

View Census Data for Peterson

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.

Farmer

49%

Labourer

10%

Laborer

Carpenter

Housekeeper

13%

Farmer

12%

Housewife

Stenographer

What Peterson family records will you find?

Census Record

There are 1M census records available for the last name Peterson. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Peterson census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Peterson

Passenger List

There are 260K immigration records available for the last name Peterson. 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 Peterson immigration records

Military Records

There are 233K military records available for the last name Peterson. For the veterans among your Peterson ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Peterson military records

You've only scratched the surface of Peterson family history

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What is the average Peterson lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Peterson life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Peterson in 1940 was 49, and 76 in 2004.

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Peterson family tree

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Search for another surname

Peterson Surname Meaning

Compare 1 above.

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

Where is the Peterson family from?

What did your Peterson ancestors do for a living?

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.

Farmer

49%

Labourer

10%

Laborer

Carpenter

Housekeeper

13%

Farmer

12%

Housewife

Stenographer

What Peterson family records will you find?

What is the average Peterson lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Peterson life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Peterson in 1940 was 49, and 76 in 2004.

Peterson Family History

Peterson Surname Meaning

5 million record(s) for Peterson

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

Where is the Peterson family from?

What did your Peterson ancestors do for a living?

Top Male Occupations In 1921

Top Female Occupations In 1921

What Peterson family records will you find?

Census Record

Passenger List

Military Records

You've only scratched the surface of Peterson family history

What is the average Peterson lifespan?

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Peterson family tree

Search for another surname

Peterson Surname Meaning

5 million record(s) for Peterson

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

Where is the Peterson family from?

What did your Peterson ancestors do for a living?

Top Male Occupations In 1921

Top Female Occupations In 1921

What Peterson family records will you find?

Census Record

Passenger List

Military Records

You've only scratched the surface of Peterson family history

What is the average Peterson lifespan?

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Peterson family tree

Search for another surname