The Petrie surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 8,520 people carried this name — #4,159 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 34,600 people counted. That is up 3% from 8,234 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Petrie surname

A surname transferred from the given name.

From a Scots diminutive form of Peter and Patrick.

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Petrie» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

In France’s civil register

France’s register of deaths holds 29 people named Petrie.

5 of them were born outside France. Those born in France came from 3 départements, most often Seine-Maritime.

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

Where they were born

Born outside France 5
Seine-Maritime 15
Paris 7
Hauts-de-Seine 2

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

In Scotland’s registers today

Petrie was recorded 81 times in Scotland’s registers of births, marriages and deaths in 2025.

That made it the 322nd most common name in those registers, shared with others on the same count. In 1975, the first year of the series, the count was 126. Each birth counts the child’s surname, each marriage both partners’ and each death the surname of the person who died — a yearly count of registrations, not of the people who live in Scotland.

National Records of Scotland, «Most Common Surnames, 2025» (published 26 May 2026): every surname recorded 10 or more times in the 2025 registers, and the series from 1975 · different spellings are counted separately — © Crown copyright 2026. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

32 families named Petrie, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 180 people lived in those households, 5.6 to a family on average. The table counts it together with 3 other spellings. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.

Families, by state

New York 17
Pennsylvania 6
North Carolina 5
South Carolina 3
Virginia 1

U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 257 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Petrie in American newspapers,
1910–1916.

Newspaper page from Hopkinsville Kentuckian carrying the name Petrie
Hopkinsville Kentuckian 1916-08-01
Newspaper page from The Kadoka Press And Kadoka Reporter carrying the name Petrie
The Kadoka Press And Kadoka Reporter 1910-11-25
Newspaper page from The Herald-advance carrying the name Petrie
The Herald-advance 1910-11-25

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 41,643 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Petrie in Australian newspapers,
1820s–2000s.

29,895 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Petrie. The most, 4,586, date from the 1930s. Weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, it stands out most in Queensland, at 3.4 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

Queensland 17,976
New South Wales 4,674
Victoria 3,862
South Australia 1,153
Tasmania 1,125
Western Australia 915
ACT (Canberra) 125
Northern Territory 9

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Petrie.

Who carried it

People named Petrie,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Alexander Petrie
    Alexander Petrie 1594–1662 · Christian minister
  • John Petrie d. 1826 · politician
  • Arthur Petrie d. 1787 · Anglican priest
  • Neil Petrie d. 1999
  • James Petrie d. 2001
  • Barbara Pym Eyre Spells d. 1996

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Petrie,
in the records of 9 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States1,461 records

1,461 records of the Petrie name in the United States
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 337
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 288
  • Other U.S. records 836
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Frederick Petrie

    Born 1908 in New York. Enlisted 1943 at New York City; driver from Queens County. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1963, buried at Long Island National Cemetery, New York.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record James Allan Petrie

    Born 1945; from Carlsbad, California. U.S. Army; killed in action 1970 in Cambodia. Buried at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery, California.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Cath Petrie

    Arrived at New York in 1891 aboard the Westernland from Antwerp, aged 43; laborer. From New Ork, Germany; bound for Chicago.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)

Showing 3 of 1,461 records for Petrie in the United States.

Counts: NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · City of Asheville (public domain, PDDL) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Netherlands821 records

821 records of the Petrie name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch population registers 461
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 306
  • Dutch church registers before 1811 54
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Jan Juriaan Petrie

    Married in 1859 in Haarlemmerliede en Spaarnwoude; farmer. Died 1898 in Haarlem, aged 66.

    Open Archives, Noord-Hollands Archief (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Helena Petrie

    Married in 1907 in Rotterdam. Died 1909 in Rotterdam, aged 34.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Rotterdam (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Leendert Petrie

    Married in 1825 in Breda. Died 1883 in Terheijden.

    Open Archives, Brabants Historisch Informatie Centrum (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 821 records for Petrie in the Netherlands.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain).

Australia817 records

817 records of the Petrie name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 376
  • Queensland State Archives indexes 177
  • Other Australian records 264
  1. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record David Petrie

    Died 1895 in George Town, Tasmania, aged 70. Will registered in Tasmania in 1895.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record George Petrie

    Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1837. Married 1838 in Hobart, Tasmania.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Lawrence D. Petrie

    Arrived in Victoria in 1885 aboard the Sorata, aged 26; English.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 817 records for Petrie in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Canada578 records

578 records of the Petrie name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 468
  • Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver 43
  • Other Canadian records 67
  1. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Civil record James Petrie

    Killed in 1915 at the Dominion No. 1 mine, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Lucy Petrie

    Buried in 1974 at Queen's Park Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 85.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.
  3. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record George Petrie

    Died 1976, aged 74; buried at Brookside Cemetery, Winnipeg, Manitoba.

    City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg.

Showing 3 of 578 records for Petrie in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Niagara Falls. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Niagara Falls. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · Contains information provided by the City of Waterloo under licence · Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0).

United Kingdom111 records

111 records of the Petrie name in the United Kingdom
  • Stirling Council burial records 57
  • Scottish rolls of honour, First World War 30
  • Other British records 24
  1. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record John Petrie

    Born 1887 at Portgordon; mason. Served in the First World War. Named in the Morayshire roll of honour (1921).

    National Library of Scotland, Rolls of Honour (public domain)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Fenton Webster Petrie

    Died 1940, aged 39; buried at Bannockburn Cemetery, Stirling, Scotland.

    Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  3. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record John Petrie

    Will proved in 1931; of Holywell, Flint.

    National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0)

Showing 3 of 111 records for Petrie in the United Kingdom.

Counts: Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. · National Library of Scotland, Rolls of Honour (public domain) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0) · MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0); Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain).

New Zealand51 records

51 records of the Petrie name in New Zealand
  • Christchurch City cemetery records 42
  • Waimakariri District cemetery records, Canterbury 6
  • Marlborough District cemetery records 3
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Thomas Alexander Petrie

    Died 1942, aged 74; buried at Addington Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Arthur Petrie

    Died 1984, aged 84; buried at Havelock Cemetery, Marlborough.

    Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Millicent Betty Petrie

    Died 1993; buried at Rangiora Lawn Cemetery, Canterbury.

    Waimakariri District Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 51 records for Petrie in New Zealand.

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0) · Waimakariri District Council (CC BY 4.0) · Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

Germany42 records

42 records of the Petrie name in Germany Germany's First World War casualty lists, 1914–1919
  1. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Fritz Petrie

    From Neidenburg. Reported dead in the Prussian casualty list of 28 November 1914 (Infantry Regiment No. 88).

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)
  2. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Johannes Petrie

    From Viereck, Ückermünde. Reported missing in the Prussian casualty list of 14 September 1918.

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)

Showing 2 of 42 records for Petrie in Germany.

Counts: Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Deutsche Verlustlisten, Prussian list 1116, 18 April 1918 (scan via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0).

France16 records

16 records of the Petrie name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Marcel Eugene Petrie

    Born 1900 in Paris; died 1981 in Vaux-le-Pénil (Seine-et-Marne).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  2. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Jeanne Petrie

    Born 1891 in Paris; died 1972 in La Celle-Saint-Cloud (Yvelines).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Showing 2 of 16 records for Petrie in France.

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

Belgium1 record

1 record of the Petrie name in Belgium Belgian civil registers (births, marriages, deaths)
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Aldegonde Petrie

    Married in 1810 in Nerem.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Tongeren (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Petrie.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Petrie 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.

See the Petrie volume
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