Petrich History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Italy

The distinguished surname Petrich can be traced back to the ancient and beautiful region of Piedmont. Although people were originally known only by a single name, it became necessary for people to adopt a second name to identify themselves as populations grew and travel became more frequent. The process of adopting fixed hereditary surnames was not complete until the modern era, but the use of hereditary family names in Italy began in the 10th and 11th centuries. Italian hereditary surnames were developed according to fairly general principles and they were characterized by a profusion of derivatives coined from given names. The most common type of family name found in the region of Piedmont is the patronymic surname, which is derived from the father's given name. During the Middle Ages, Italians adopted the patronymic system of name-making because it perfectly complemented the prevailing Feudal System. In Italy the popularity of patronymic type of surname is also due to the fact that during the Christian era, people often named their children after saints and biblical figures. The surname Petrich came from the personal name Pietro, or Peter, which is itself derived from the Greek word petrus meaning rock.

Early Origins of the Petrich family

The surname Petrich was first found in Piedmont (Italian: Piemonte, Piedmontese and Occitan: Piemont), where Giuseppe Peracchio, was listed as a brave soldier during the 11th century.

Early History of the Petrich family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Petrich research. The years 1408, 1521, 1536, 1571, 1585, 1590, 1623, 1662, 1753, 1792, 1817 and 1900 are included under the topic Early Petrich History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Petrich Spelling Variations

Enormous variation in spelling and form characterizes those Italian names that originated in the medieval era. This is caused by two main factors: regional tradition, and inaccuracies in the recording process. Before the last few hundred years, scribes spelled names according to their sounds. Spelling variations were the unsurprising result. The variations of Petrich include Perri, Peri, Perrico, Perotti, Perotta, Perracco, Perracho, Perrachino, Perrachini, Peracchio, Perrachio, Perotti, Perricone, Peracca, Perachis, Peracini, Peraga, Perazzo, Peralta, Peralto, Perolto, Peretti, Peretto, Perini, Perino and many more.

Early Notables of the Petrich family

Prominent among members of the family was Niccol Perolto, a 15th century humanist from Fano who specialized in Latin and Greek translation. Antonio and Pietro Peracchio received the castle of Pieve di Livone in 1536; from this same family, Antonio and Michele Peracchio were officially recognized as noblemen and were given the castle of Pia in 1408. The Peralta family in Sicily possessed over 8 feudal territories, and 11 other lands. Guglielmo Peralta was President of Sicily as well as Grand Chancellor and Treasurer. Also prominent was a Peretti of Montalto, who in 1585 was elected Pope with the new name...
Another 149 words (11 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Petrich Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Petrich migration to the United States +

Immigrants bearing the name Petrich or a variant listed above include:

Petrich Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Ed Petrich, who landed in America in 1876 1
Pauline Petrich, aged 18, who arrived in Baltimore, Maryland in 1893 1

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 +

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)