Petro
A surname with several possible roots, most often tied to the given name Peter or to place-names built from it.
The #5,957 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 53,444 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Petro is usually connected with the ancient name Peter, ultimately from Greek Petros, meaning “stone” or “rock,” via Latin Petrus. In some traditions it can also be a shortened or altered form of surnames built from Saint Peter place-names, such as forms meaning “at St. Peter’s bridge” or “St. Peter’s place.” Because the historical excerpts mainly show medieval spellings like de St. Petro and de Petro-Ponte, the surname may represent more than one independent source in different families.
History
Medieval records in England and on the Continent show many related spellings associated with St. Peter, including Latinized forms. In later centuries, some bearers may have inherited Petro as a simplified surname form, while others may come from immigrant or regional naming traditions where Petro functioned as a pet form or surname element. The modern surname is uncommon in the United States, but it appears across several European-language naming systems.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Some early records show it in Latinized medieval forms rather than the modern spelling, especially in references to places or churches dedicated to St. Peter.
From the historical record
“early 17th cent., Seint6pier and Seyntpiere in the 14th; the mediaeval Latinization being de Sancto Petro. Cp. Samper, which is a present-day French surname. SEMPLE I ,”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)