Petree History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
France
Scotland

The distinguished surname Petree emerged among the industrious people of Flanders, which was an important trading partner and political ally of Britain during the Middle Ages. As a result of the frequent commercial intercourse between the Flemish and English nations, many Flemish migrants settled in Britain. In early times, people were known by only a single name. However, as the population grew and people traveled further afield, it became increasingly necessary to assume an additional name to differentiate between bearers of the same personal name. One of the most common classes of surname is the patronymic surname, which was usually derived from the first name of the person's father. Flemish surnames of this type are often characterized by the diminutive suffix -kin, which became very frequent in England during the 14th century. The surname Petree is derived from the personal names Peter and Patrick. These two names were frequently confused in Scotland since the Gaelic forms of Patrick were Pádair and Pátair. 1 The Flemish Petree family is believed to be descended from a family named Peters who migrated from Antwerp in Belgium to Cornwall during the 12th century. From there, the family moved to Kincardine, Aberdeen, and Caithness in Scotland.

Early Origins of the Petree family

The surname Petree was first found in Aberdeen, where Charles Patre was recorded in the Balwelow Records for 1513. Later, Mr. Andrew Petre was vicar of Wick, Caithness in 1530, and David Petiye was charter witness in Tannadyce in 1603. 1

Early History of the Petree family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Petree research. Another 250 words (18 lines of text) covering the years 1452, 1503, 1512, 1517, 1530, 1594, 1612, 1619, 1620, 1643, 1662, 1667, 1688, 1703, 1707, 1714, 1790, 1798, 1822, 1831, 1837, 1844, 1847, 1853, 1864, 1866, 1872, 1892, 1901, 1902, 1910 and 1920 are included under the topic Early Petree History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Petree Spelling Variations

Flemish surnames are characterized by a large number of spelling variations. One reason for this is that medieval English lacked definite spelling rules. The spellings of surnames were also influenced by the official court languages, which were French and Latin. Names were rarely spelled consistently in medieval times. Scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to specific spelling rules, and people often had their names registered in several different forms throughout their lives. One of the greatest reasons for change is the linguistic uniqueness of the Flemish settlers in England, who spoke a language closely related to Dutch. The pronunciation and spelling of Flemish names were often altered to suit the tastes of English-speaking people. In many cases, the first, final, or middle syllables of surnames were eliminated. The name has been spelled Petrie, Petree, Petre and others.

Early Notables of the Petree family

Prominent in the family at this time was Alexander Petrie (c. 1594-1662), Scottish divine, third son of Alexander Petrie, merchant and burgess of Montrose. He was the minister of Rhynd in Perthshire. William Peartree (c. 1643-1714), was an early American planter in Jamaica who later became a successful privateer, he later moved back to New York to become the 28th Mayor of New York City from 1703 to 1707.Andrew Petrie (1798-1872), born in Fife, Scotland, was a pioneer, architect and builder in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. He and his wife and their four sons to landed in Sydney in 1831 with other...
Another 136 words (10 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Petree Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Petree Ranking

In the United States, the name Petree is the 9,785^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 2

Petree migration to the United States +

In the immigration and passenger lists a number of early immigrants bearing the name Petree were found:

Petree Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

James Petree, aged 47, who arrived in Vermont in 1812 3

Contemporary Notables of the name Petree (post 1700) +

Gregori Chad Petree, American musician from Shawnee, Oklahoma
Andy Petree (b. 1958), American NASCAR crew chief, television commentator, founder of the Andy Petree Racing team

The Petree Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Fide sed vide
Motto Translation: Trust but take care.

Citations +

Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)