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Petersen Family History

Petersen Surname Meaning

Danish, Norwegian, Dutch, and North German: patronymic from the personal name Peter.

Americanized form of Norwegian and Danish Pedersen or Pettersen.

English: variant of Peterson.

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 Petersen family from?

You can see how Petersen families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Petersen family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1841 and 1920. The most Petersen families were found in USA in 1920. In 1891 there were 68 Petersen families living in London. This was about 30% of all the recorded Petersen's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Petersen families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Petersen 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 Petersen ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Wholesale Salt Merchant and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Petersen. 17% of Petersen men worked as a Wholesale Salt Merchant and 71% of Petersen women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Petersen were Carpenter and Unpaid Domestic.

View Census Data for Petersen | 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

  • Wholesale Salt Merchant
    17%
  • Carpenterimproved
    17%
  • General Labourer
    17%
  • Carpenter
    17%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    71%
  • Private Means
    7%
  • Cook
    4%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    4%

What Petersen family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 216,000 census records available for the last name Petersen. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Petersen census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Petersen

Passenger Lists

There are 165,000 immigration records available for the last name Petersen. 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.

View all Petersen immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 52,000 military records available for the last name Petersen. For the veterans among your Petersen ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Petersen military records

You've only scratched the surface of Petersen family history

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What is the average Petersen lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Petersen life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1947, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Petersen in 1940 was 43, and 78 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Petersen

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Petersen 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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