Petrick
A surname often explained as a regional form of Peter or Petrus, especially in Germanic and Slavic border areas.
The #9,777 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 93,136 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Petrick is commonly understood as a surname built from the personal name Peter, ultimately from Greek Petros, meaning “rock.” In German and neighboring Slavic-speaking areas, -ick/-ik can form a diminutive or patronymic-style surname, so the name may have meant “son of Peter” or “little Peter.” The historical record also shows it as a surname used in regions with strong Wends/Slavic presence, which fits that broader naming pattern.
History
The name appears in historical onomastic lists from German border regions, including areas where Slavic personal names were common. In English-language surname collections it is sometimes grouped with other Peter-related forms such as Petry and Petrie, though those may arise from different local traditions. Modern bearers are found mainly in the United States and Germany, with the name remaining relatively uncommon.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Historical references place Petrick among surnames recorded in Priegnitz and other parts of Pomerania where Wendish names were present alongside German ones.
From the historical record
“10, ja in Pommern in manchen Kreisen fast bis zu 20 v. H. steigern, treten nun, zuerst in der Priegnitz, vollgültige wendische Personennamen auf, als da sind: Nodck, Miixlaff, Petrick, Nimx^ Pechelc,^ Doch bleiben auch hier die deutschen Namen ganz überwiegend in der Mehrheit, derart, daß, alles zusammengerechnet…”
— Die deutschen Familiennamen