Petrillo
An Italian surname meaning “little Peter,” originally a pet-form or diminutive from the name Pietro/Peter.
The #7,920 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 73,880 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Petrillo is an Italian surname built on Pietro, the Italian form of Peter, from Greek Petros meaning “stone” or “rock.” The ending -illo is a diminutive, so the name originally had the sense of “little Peter” or “young Peter.” In practice, it likely began as a nickname or family-name form based on a bearer’s given name rather than a literal description.
History
The surname is most strongly associated with Italy, especially southern Italian naming traditions where diminutive surname forms are common. It was carried to the United States and other countries by Italian immigrants in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and it remains relatively uncommon but recognizable as an Italian-American surname.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Because it ends in the diminutive -illo, Petrillo has the same basic “little Peter” structure as several other Italian surname forms built from Pietro.