Petrich Surname History

Origins Available:
England
Italy
Ireland

The Norman Conquest of England of 1066 added many new elements to the already vibrant culture. Among these were thousands of new names. The Petrich name is derived from the given name Patrick. It was largely as a result of the fame of the 5th century Romano British saint of this name that Patrick was such a popular given name in the Middle Ages. It derives from the Latin Patricus, meaning the son of a noble father, a member of the patrician class, and a member of the Roman hereditary aristocracy.

They claim descent from Patrick de la Lande who was from La Lande near Caen in Normandy. "William Patrick de la Lande is mentioned by Wace as the entertainer of Harold during his visit to Normandy, and as challenging him to combat at Hastings for breach of his oath." 1

To better understand this quotation, the reader needs to know that Wace (c. 1110-1174) was a Norman poet, born in Jersey. His "Roman de Brut," was a verse history of Britain, based on the Historia Regum Britanniae by Geoffrey of Monmouth. In many ways, Wace's works often referred to as Wace's poems, are the only accurate history of those times.

Early Origins of the Petrich family

The surname Petrich was first found in Norfolk and Suffolk where King William granted a barony of fifteen fees shortly after the Norman Conquest to the aforementioned William Patrick. "William, his son, witnessed a charter of William I., to Savigny Abbey." 1

Within one hundred years of the Conquest, branches of the family were found in northern England including the mention of Paganus de la Lande who held three fees in 1165 from the see of York.

Early History of the Petrich family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Petrich research. Another 174 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1160, 1201, 1211, 1564, 1613, 1626, 1632, 1679, 1684, 1689, 1695, 1707 and 1748 are included under the topic Early Petrich History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Petrich Spelling Variations

A multitude of spelling variations characterize Norman surnames. Many variations occurred because Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England also had a pronounced effect, as did the court languages of Latin and French. Therefore, one person was often referred to by several different spellings in a single lifetime. The various spellings include Patrick, Patryck, Partick and others.

Early Notables of the Petrich family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Simon Patrich (d. 1613), English translator, matriculated as a pensioner at Peterhouse, Cambridge and was a member at Elizabeth's visitation in August 1564; and his grandson, Simon Patrick (1626-1707), was an English theologian and bishop...
Another 42 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Petrich Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Petrich family to Ireland

Some of the Petrich family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Petrich migration to the United States +

Many English families left England, to avoid the chaos of their homeland and migrated to the many British colonies abroad. Although the conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and some travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute, once in the colonies, many of the families prospered and made valuable contributions to the cultures of what would become the United States and Canada. Research into the origins of individual families in North America has revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Petrich or a variant listed above:

Petrich Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Ed Petrich, who landed in America in 1876 2
Pauline Petrich, aged 18, who arrived in Baltimore, Maryland in 1893 2

Contemporary Notables of the name Petrich (post 1700) +

Robert Earl "Bob" Petrich (b. 1941), American former professional football defensive end in the American Football League (1963-1967)
Soma Orlai Petrich (1822-1880), Hungarian painter, born to a Serbian father and Hungarian mother
Cosmo James Petrich AM, Australian businessman, Deputy Chairman of Ports Corporation of Queensland, 1999–2009, Chief Executive Officer of Cape York Peninsula Development Association, 1996–2005
Henryk Petrich (b. 1959), Polish former amateur boxer who won the Light Heavyweight bronze medal at the 1988 Seoul Olympic games, a bronze medal at the 1986 World Championships in Reno and silver medal at the 1987 European Championships in Turin, eight-time Polish champion (1983-1986 in the middleweight division and 1987-1988, 1990-1991 in the light heavyweight division)

Citations +

The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)