Show ContentsPetro History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The notable surname Petro is a proud sign of a rich and ancient Spanish ancestry. The earliest forms of hereditary surnames in Spain were the patronymic surnames, which are derived from the father's given name, and metronymic surnames, which are derived from the mother's given name. Spanish patronymic names emerged as early as the mid-9th century and the most common patronymic suffix is "ez." The patronyms were derived from a variety of given names that were of many different origins. In Europe, the Christian Church was one of the most powerful influences on the formation of given names. Personal names derived from the names of saints, apostles, biblical figures, and missionaries are widespread in most European countries. In the Middle Ages, they became increasingly popular because people believed that the souls of the deceased continued to be involved in this world. They named their children after saints in the hope that the child would be blessed or protected by the saint.

Early Origins of the Petro family

The surname Petro was first found in Castile, where the name originated in Visigothic times.

Early History of the Petro family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Petro research. Another 137 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1155, 1168, 1227, 1236, 1309, 1570, 1606, 1628, 1634, 1642, 1670, 1693 and 1713 are included under the topic Early Petro History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Petro Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Pérez, Perez, Pédriz, Pedriz, Périz, Periz, Pétrez, Petrez, Pétriz, Petriz, Pédrez, Pedrez and many more.

Early Notables of the Petro family

Prominent among members of the family was the legendary Castilian heroine María Pérez who, disguised as a man, fought against and defeated the Aragonese King Alfonso I and later married a Castilian prince; Pelayo Pérez de Fromesta, a knight of Castile in 1155; Count Alvar Pérez de Lara, tutor to the young King Alfonso VIII in 1168; Gutierre Pérez de Reynoso, ambassador of Alfonso VIII to the King of England; Ferran Peres Pardo, a knight of the order of Santiago; Alvar Pérez, who in 1227 was betrothed to a daughter of the King of Navarre; Rodrigo Pérez de Tapiola received a...
Another 145 words (10 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Petro Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Petro Ranking

In the United States, the name Petro is the 8,032nd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1


United States Petro migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Petro Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Anna Petro, who arrived in Texas in 1846 2

Contemporary Notables of the name Petro (post 1700) +

  • Eric Petro Deakins (b. 1932), British Labour Party politician, Member of Parliament for Walthamstow West (1970-1974) and (1974-1987)
  • Eric Petro Deakin (b. 1932), British Labour Party politician
  • Petro Danilovich Sardachuk (1938-2022), Ukrainian diplomat, ambassador to Slovakia, Poland, Finland, and Iceland
  • Petro Giacomo Nonis (1927-2014), Italian Roman Catholic bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Vicenza, Italy from 1988 to 2003
  • Petro Konstantynovych Korol (b. 1941), former Ukrainian weightlifter and Olympic champion


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. 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)


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