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Petra Family History

Petra Surname Meaning

Catalan: habitational name from Petra in Majorca, an important place during the 16th and 17th centuries. This surname, which is very rare in Spain, is also found in Mexico.

Romanian: from the personal name Petra, feminine form of Petru ‘Peter’.

Italian: from the personal name Petra, feminine form of Petro, a dialect form of Pietro ‘Peter’.

Italian: topographic name from the vocabulary word petra, a variant of pietra ‘stone, rock’.

In some cases also an American shortened form (and Greek feminine form denoting ‘the daughter or wife of’) of Greek Petras.

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


Similar surnames: 

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Petra family from?

You can see how Petra families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Petra family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Petra families were found in USA in 1920. In 1911 there were 18 Petra families living in Quebec. This was about 40% of all the recorded Petra's in Canada. Quebec had the highest population of Petra families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Petra 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 Petra ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Teacher were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Petra. 31% of Petra men worked as a Laborer and 34% of Petra women worked as a Teacher. Some less common occupations for Americans named Petra were Proprietor and Servant.

View Census Data for Petra | 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.

United States shown, Canada data unavailable

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Laborer
    31%
  • Farmer
    31%
  • Carpenter
    8%
  • Proprietor
    6%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Teacher
    34%
  • Cook
    15%
  • Clerk
    15%
  • Servant
    10%

What Petra family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 5,000 census records available for the last name Petra. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Petra census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Petra

Passenger Lists

There are 2,000 immigration records available for the last name Petra. 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 Petra immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 282 military records available for the last name Petra. For the veterans among your Petra ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Petra military records

You've only scratched the surface of Petra family history

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What is the average Petra lifespan?

Between 1964 and 2004, in the United States, Petra life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1982, and highest in 1997. The average life expectancy for Petra in 1964 was 64, and 78 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Petra

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Petra ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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