Surname Petters - Meaning and Origin
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Petters: What does the surname Petters mean?
The last name Petters is a German surname originated from the Middle High German word "petzen", meaning "to be poor". The name Petters is thought to have developed as a nickname for someone dealing with poverty. Petters may have been given to a person who sympathized with a financially struggling family or who was making financial decisions in order to make it through tough times.
The name Petters can also be derived from a variety of other sources, including the patronymic form of Peter, from the Old High German word “petar” meaning "rock," or from a short form of the Slavic name Petar.
The Coat of Arms, which is the heraldic symbol of a family, also associated with the name Petters has its roots in German heraldry. This Coat of Arms shows two lions and a jester’s cap. This symbolizes the family’s commitment to a life of hard work, intelligence, and patience.
What is most interesting about the name Petters is that it has many cultural recognition associated with it. The Coat of Arms of the Petters family is featured in monuments and other memorials around the world and the name appears in books and films of various genres, such as adventure and mystery.
Even today, the name Petters carries a unique history and identity that makes it a wonderful reminder of how far our ancestors have come and how they still remain impactful in modern times.
Order DNA origin analysisPetters: Where does the name Petters come from?
The last name Petters is found mainly in Northwest Europe and North America today. It is particularly common in the Netherlands, where it is the 64th most popular surname. In neighboring Germany, Petters is the 68th most popular last name, while in Belgium the name ranks as the 99th most common surname. In Luxembourg, it is the 9th most popular surname, and it is also found in France, Sweden, and Norway.
The spread of the surname Petters outside of Europe is largely a result of migration. Petters has been present in the United States for more than one hundred years, and today it is ranked as the 6,987th most popular last name. In Canada, the family is likewise well represented, and it ranks as the 3,375th most common surname.
The family name Petters is either derived from the Germanic personal name Peters, which is ultimately derived from the strong masculine name of Peter, meaning "rock," or it may originate from the Dutch surname Peeters. In the Netherlands, Peeters is an extremely common surname and forms the basis of many other surnames, including Petters.
Variations of the surname Petters
Petters is a surname of German origin. It is most commonly spelled as Petters, however, there are many variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin.
Variant spellings can include Pettars, Pettaras, Petras, Petrus, Pettarz, Petias, Petiarz, Petz, Patras and Patris. Other variants of this surname are Pettere, Petterssen, Pettersson and Pettertsen.
The most commonly spelled version of the Petters surname is Petters. This can be seen in the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, England, Scotland, United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and elsewhere.
In Germany, Petters is also spelled as Pettars. Similarly, in the Netherlands, the spelling is sometimes seen as Pettaras, whereas in Poland, the surname is usually spelled as Petiarz. In Sweden, the spelling Pettersson is most common, whereas in Norway, the spelling is Pettersen.
In England, the spellings Petz, Patras and Patris can be found whereas, in the United States, the surnames Petris and Petrus are most common.
The Petters surname is believed to be derived from the personal name Petrus meaning "rock". It is thought to have originally been used as a nickname or byname for a person with the same name or similar qualities.
Famous people with the name Petters
- Tony Petters: Professional soccer player from the early 2000s, who played for several Swedish clubs.
- Frederick Petters: A former English professional football player who played in the 1970s.
- Kay Pettersen: Norwegian singer-songwriter.
- Chester Petters: American actor who starred in the 1988 film, Navy SEALS.
- Leon Petters: German poet, author and professor, known for his lyric poetry.
- Arne Pettersen: Norwegian biathlete and skier, member of the 1963 Holmenkollen ski festival.
- Jamie Pettersen: American philosopher and professor, author of several books on ethics and politics.
- Sigurd Pettersen: Danish architect, specializing in rural landscape architecture and urban planning.
- Christian Pettersen: Norwegian-American painter and sculptor, most known for his abstract paintings.
- Diana Pettersen: English actress who played in the 2002 film adaptation of Lord of the Rings.
- Lars Pettersen: Norwegian biologist and oceanographer, who was appointed president of the Royal Norwegian Society for Science and Letters in 2017.
- Priya Pettersen: A Norwegian singer known for her appearance on the talent show The Voice Norway in 2018.
- Conrad Pettersen: American guitarist who has collaborated with numerous famous pop and rock stars.
- Petter Pettersen: Danish chef and restaurateur, who opened the iconic restaurant ‘Petter’s in 1915.
- Siri Pettersen: Norwegian novelist and playwright, best known for her works on the theme of immigration.