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Petis Family History

Petis Surname Meaning

Historically, surnames evolved as a way to sort people into groups - by occupation, place of origin, clan affiliation, patronage, parentage, adoption, and even physical characteristics (like red hair). Many of the modern surnames in the dictionary can be traced back to Britain and Ireland.


Similar surnames: Petit, Pettis, Peris, Petts, Reis, Lewis, Peter, Melis, Paris, Pepin

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

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Petis family from?

You can see how Petis families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Petis family name was found in the USA, and Canada between 1840 and 1920. The most Petis families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there was 1 Petis family living in Alabama. This was about 20% of all the recorded Petis's in USA. Alabama and 4 other states had the highest population of Petis families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Petis surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
  • 1840
  • 1880
  • 1920
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What did your Petis ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Cook were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Petis. 48% of Petis men worked as a Laborer and 50% of Petis women worked as a Cook. Some less common occupations for Americans named Petis were Farmer and Maid.

View Census Data for Petis | 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, England data unavailable

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Laborer
    48%
  • Labor
    18%
  • New Worker
    18%
  • Farmer
    18%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Cook
    50%
  • Maid
    50%

What Petis family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 1,000 census records available for the last name Petis. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Petis census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Petis

Passenger Lists

There are 127 immigration records available for the last name Petis. 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 Petis immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 100 military records available for the last name Petis. For the veterans among your Petis ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Petis military records

You've only scratched the surface of Petis family history

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What is the average Petis lifespan?

Average Petis life expectancy in 1986 was 70 years. This was lower than the general public life expectancy which was 73.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Petis

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Petis 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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