Pedersen
A Scandinavian patronymic surname meaning “Peter’s son.”
The #1,780 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 15,334 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Pedersen is a Scandinavian patronymic built from the given name Peder, a regional form of Peter, plus son. The literal sense is “Peder’s son,” or more broadly “son of Peter.” Older surname dictionaries also note related spellings such as Petersen and Pederson in neighboring languages and dialects.
History
This surname developed in the traditional Scandinavian naming system, where a child’s surname identified the father’s given name. It is especially common in Denmark and Norway, and the -sen form became fixed as hereditary surnames over time. In Anglophone records it often appears alongside Petersen and Pederson, reflecting both migration and spelling variation.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The -sen ending is the Scandinavian equivalent of “-son,” so Pedersen and Peterson are historical cousins in meaning rather than in spelling.
From the historical record
“PEDERSEN (Scand.) Peder's i.e. Peter's Son [see Peter in Diet. : Dano-Norw. son, son] PELLETIER (Fr.) Furrier [f. ^r.peau, earlier pel, skin, fur; Lat.^W/w] PETERSEN : see Pedensen. Petit”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)