Tuesday, October 04, 2005
PETERSON
Peterson, Petersen- (English, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish)
Meaning: The Son of Peter (A Rock)
After the Norman Conquest the name of Peter, the most vivid and vigorous of the 12 apostles and founder of the church in Rome, was introduced into England. It is a translation of Cephas, "stone". The story of Peter appealed to the imagination of the church in the middle ages. Many ecclesiastical dignitaries bore the name, and people were quick to adopt it for their sons through-out Christian Europe.
Swede and Norwegians with such names as Andersson, Karlsson, Ericksson, Larsson and Olessen, have eliminated on medial "s". Pettersson drops both a medial "t" and "s" to emerge as Peterson. Peterson owe its oustanding popularity to England and the Scandinavian countries.
There are an estimated 282,300 people in the United States named Peterson. It is ranked #47th out of 2,000 names. It is the 4th most popular name in Minneapolis, and the 14th most popular in Milwaukee.
In old Sweden it was customary for a daughter to take the first name of her father and add to that name, "dotter", thus giving you Johansdotter, Abrahamsdotter, Mansdotter. Had I been born in Sweden, by last name would not have been "Peterson", as it was here in the states, but would have been Carlsdotter, after my father, Carl.
A son born would take his fathers name, and to that name add "son", such as Gabrielsson, Johansson, Petersson...the son of Gabriel, the son of Johan, and in my case, the son of Peter.
Meaning: The Son of Peter (A Rock)
After the Norman Conquest the name of Peter, the most vivid and vigorous of the 12 apostles and founder of the church in Rome, was introduced into England. It is a translation of Cephas, "stone". The story of Peter appealed to the imagination of the church in the middle ages. Many ecclesiastical dignitaries bore the name, and people were quick to adopt it for their sons through-out Christian Europe.
Swede and Norwegians with such names as Andersson, Karlsson, Ericksson, Larsson and Olessen, have eliminated on medial "s". Pettersson drops both a medial "t" and "s" to emerge as Peterson. Peterson owe its oustanding popularity to England and the Scandinavian countries.
There are an estimated 282,300 people in the United States named Peterson. It is ranked #47th out of 2,000 names. It is the 4th most popular name in Minneapolis, and the 14th most popular in Milwaukee.
In old Sweden it was customary for a daughter to take the first name of her father and add to that name, "dotter", thus giving you Johansdotter, Abrahamsdotter, Mansdotter. Had I been born in Sweden, by last name would not have been "Peterson", as it was here in the states, but would have been Carlsdotter, after my father, Carl.
A son born would take his fathers name, and to that name add "son", such as Gabrielsson, Johansson, Petersson...the son of Gabriel, the son of Johan, and in my case, the son of Peter.
