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Petus Family History

Petus 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: Petrus, Petkus, Petts, Pettus, Peter, Petek, Prus, Reus, Jesus, Petre

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

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Petus family from?

You can see how Petus families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Petus family name was found in the USA, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Petus families were found in Canada in 1911. In 1841 there was 1 Petus family living in Aberdeenshire. This was 100% of all the recorded Petus's in Scotland. Aberdeenshire had the highest population of Petus families in 1841.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Petus 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 Petus ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Secretary were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Petus. 30% of Petus men worked as a Laborer and 18% of Petus women worked as a Secretary. Some less common occupations for Americans named Petus were Farm Laborer and Housework.

View Census Data for Petus | 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
    30%
  • Farmer
    17%
  • Labor
    7%
  • Farm Laborer
    7%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Secretary
    18%
  • Housewife
    14%
  • Maid
    14%
  • Housework
    14%

What Petus family records will you find?

Census Records

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

Search UK census records for Petus

Passenger Lists

There are 186 immigration records available for the last name Petus. 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 Petus immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 224 military records available for the last name Petus. For the veterans among your Petus ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Petus military records

You've only scratched the surface of Petus family history

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What is the average Petus lifespan?

Between 1963 and 1975, in the United States, Petus life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1963, and highest in 1975. The average life expectancy for Petus in 1963 was 76, and 86 in 1975.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Petus

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Petus 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.

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Petus family tree

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