Peterson
/ˈpiːtərsən/noun
A surname meaning "son of Peter."
Did you know?Peterson is a patronymic surname, and its first element ultimately comes from Greek Petros, meaning "rock," the name Jesus gave to Peter in the New Testament.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
Petros
“stone, rock”
Late Latin
Latin
Petrus
“Peter, the apostle's name”
Old French
Old French
Pierre
“Peter”
Old English / Middle English
English
Peter
“the male given name Peter”
Middle English
English
-son
“son of; patronymic suffix”
Modern English
English
Peterson
“son of Peter”