Explore the Family Name Peter
The meaning of Peter
English, Scottish, German, Dutch, French (Alsace and Lorraine), Czech (Moravian), Slovak, Croatian, and Slovenian; Hungarian (Péter): from the personal name Peter (Greek Petros, from petra ‘rock’). The personal name was popular throughout Christian Europe in the Middle Ages, having been bestowed by Christ as a byname on the apostle Simon bar Jonah, the brother of Andrew. The name was chosen by Christ for its symbolic significance (John 1:42, Matt. 16:18); Saint Peter is regarded as the founding head of the Christian Church in view of Christ’s saying, ‘Thou art Peter and upon this rock I will build my Church’. In Christian Germany in the early Middle Ages this was the most frequent personal name of non-ancient Germanic origin until the 14th century. In North America, this surname has also absorbed cognates from other languages, for example Czech Petr, Polish Piotr and Pietr, Albanian Pjetri (from the personal name Pjetër, definite form Pjetri), and also their derivatives (see examples at Peterson). It has also been adopted as a surname by Ashkenazic Jews. Some characteristic forenames: German Hans, Kurt, Otto, Ernst, Fritz, Heinz, Helmut, Horst, Kaspar, Klaus, Siegfried, Wolfgang.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Peter in the United States?
According to the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname 'Peter' saw a marginal decline in rank from 3758 in 2000 to 3859 in 2010, indicating a slight decrease in its prevalence - a change of -2.69 percent. Despite this drop in rank, the actual count of people with this surname increased by approximately 6.11 percent during the same period, rising from 8662 to 9191. This led to a small reduction in the proportion per 100,000 people, from 3.21 to 3.12.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #3,758 | #3,859 | -2.69% |
| Count | 8,662 | 9,191 | 6.11% |
| Proportion per 100k | 3.21 | 3.12 | -2.8% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Peter
The ethnic identity associated with the surname 'Peter' also saw some interesting shifts between 2000 and 2010, as per the Decennial U.S. Census. The most significant growth was seen among those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander, with an impressive increase of 77.29 percent. There were also moderate increases within the Black (13.94 percent) and Hispanic (14.51 percent) communities. On the other hand, there was a noticeable decline in the proportion of White individuals bearing the name, which fell by -8.46 percent. The number of people who identified themselves as belonging to two or more races remained largely stable, while the American Indian and Alaskan Native category saw a marginal decrease of -0.27 percent.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 77.87% | 71.28% | -8.46% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 6.78% | 12.02% | 77.29% |
| Black | 7.03% | 8.01% | 13.94% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 3.71% | 3.7% | -0.27% |
| Hispanic | 2.55% | 2.92% | 14.51% |
| Two or More Races | 2.07% | 2.08% | 0.48% |
Peter ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Peter is French & German, which comprises 39.1% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are British & Irish (23.8%) and Eastern European (9.2%). Additional ancestries include Scandinavian, Ashkenazi Jewish, Malayali Subgroup, Italian, and Southern Indian & Sri Lankan.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| French & German | 39.1% |
| British & Irish | 23.8% |
| Eastern European | 9.2% |
| Other | 27.9% |
Possible origins of the surname Peter
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Peter have recent ancestry locations spanning a few countries, mostly in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 51.10% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 51.10% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 51.10% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 51.10% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 51.10% |
What Peter haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Peter is E-M5021, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup E-M5021 is descended from haplogroup E-M96. Other common haplogroups include R-L2 and R-Z282, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Wayne, Grey, Miller, Fisher, Marx, Schiller, Davison, Fischer, Wagner, Kramer.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Peter surname are: M, H1, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins E-M96
Your paternal lineage may be linked to early European farmers
If you have haplogroup E1b1b1, your paternal line stems from a branch of E-M215 called E-M5021. Men bearing this lineage migrated from the Balkans to southwestern Europe during the spread of agriculture by early farmers in the agricultural revolution, which began about 10,000 years ago in the Fertile Crescent. Early members of haplogroup E1b1b1, some of the world's first farmers, had a competitive advantage over native men, who didn't have farming technology. As a result of this advantage, haplogroup E1b1b1 became widespread and populous during the agricultural revolution. The effects of this ancient advantage are still seen today, with haplogroup E1b1b1 being represented from Portugal and Spain to Palestine, southern Africa, and Russia.
Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Peter have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Peter" Surname 47.1%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Peter" Surname 15.0%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Peter" Surname 19.0%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Peter" Surname 19.6%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Peter?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Peter are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition