The peterson Surname
peterson Name Meaning and History
- 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.
Dictionary of American Family Names, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-508137-4
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