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Peterson Family History

Peterson Name 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

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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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 1891 there were 379 Peterson families living in London. This was about 30% of all the recorded Peterson's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Peterson families in 1891.
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.

What did your Peterson ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Peterson. 25% of Peterson men worked as a General Labourer and 73% of Peterson women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Peterson were Bricklayer and Housewife. .

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.

Top Male Occupations In 1939

  • General Labourer
    25%
  • Retired
    7%
  • Incapacitated
    5%
  • Bricklayer
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    73%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    4%
  • Domestic Duties
    2%
  • Housewife
    2%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Peterson family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 1 million 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 UK census records for Peterson

Passenger Lists

There are 260,000 immigration records available for the last name Peterson. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

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Draft Cards

There are 233,000 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.

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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.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Peterson

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