Petersen surname: U.S. census count, rank and records | FamilyCrests

The Petersen surname

In the 2000 U.S. Census, 55,185 people carried this name — #543 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 4,890 people counted.

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In Switzerland’s population statistics

349 people named Petersen live in Switzerland.

They live in 19 of Switzerland’s 26 cantons, most of all in Zurich.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Where they live today

Zurich 89
Bern 49
Vaud 32
Aargau 28
Geneva 23
Basel-Stadt 15
Fribourg 15
Basel-Landschaft 14

Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO), «Surnames of the permanent resident population by canton», 2025, opendata.swiss · names with fewer than 3 bearers in a canton are not published.

In France’s civil register

France’s register of deaths holds 141 people named Petersen.

Most of them — 78 — were born outside France. Those born in France came from 22 départements, most often Paris.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they were born

Born outside France 78
Paris 17
Haut-Rhin 7
Seine-Maritime 5
Moselle 4
Bas-Rhin 4
New Caledonia 3
Rhône 3
Seine-Saint-Denis 2

Fichier des personnes décédées, INSEE — Licence Ouverte 2.0 · deaths recorded in France since 1970, by place of birth.

In Poland’s population register

83 people named Petersen have a registered home in Poland.

Of the 253 in Poland’s national register, these are the ones with a permanent address on file. They live in 10 of Poland’s 16 voivodeships, most of all in Masovian.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they live today

Masovian 19
Pomeranian 18
Lower Silesian 12
West Pomeranian 10
Lesser Poland 6
Greater Poland 6
Silesian 5
Kuyavian-Pomeranian 3

PESEL register, Ministry of Digital Affairs of Poland (dane.gov.pl) — CC0 · living people by voivodeship of permanent residence, 20 January 2026.

In Belgium’s population register

At least 23 people named Petersen live in Belgium.

Statbel only publishes a name in a municipality when five or more people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in Brussels-Capital.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they live today

Brussels-Capital 11
Antwerp 6
East Flanders 6

Statbel (Statistics Belgium), family names of the population by municipality, 1 January 2026 — CC BY 4.0.

In print

Petersen in American newspapers,
1896–1961.

Newspaper page from Der Deutsche Correspondent carrying the name Petersen
Der Deutsche Correspondent 1896-02-01
Newspaper page from Der Deutsche Beobachter carrying the name Petersen
Der Deutsche Beobachter 1900-07-12
Newspaper page from The Citizen carrying the name Petersen
The Citizen 1911-10-11

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 146,434 pages in all carry the name.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Petersen is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

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