Meaning and Origin of: Peterson

Boy name origins & meanings

  • Latin : Rock, stone

Family name origins & meanings

  • English, Scottish, and German : patronymic from Peter.
  • Americanized form of similar surnames of non-English origin (such as Petersen, or Swedish Pettersson).
  • In VT, there are Petersons who were originally called by the French name Beausoleil; in some documentation this was translated fairly literally as Prettysun, which was then assimilated to Peterson.