Surname Petermeier - Meaning and Origin

Petermeier: What does the surname Petermeier mean?

The last name Petermeier is of German origin. The name means "son of Peter" with "meier" being an old German word meaning "mayor". This name was most likely given to the sons of a mayor or leader in a small town. It is likely that such families were quite successful and held a lot of influence in these towns.

Throughout its history, the name Petermeier has been closely associated with leadership and wealth. This is seen in various historical records from Germanic nations where prominent members of the extended family, such as royalty, influential politicians and civil servants, are documented. It is therefore likely that many people originally bearing this name had considerable socio-economic influence and power.

More recently, the name Petermeier has become widespread across Germany and other nations with some German ancestry. Like other Germanic surnames, the name continues to stand for prestige and wealth, often within social circles and among the more affluent members of society.

Petermeier: Where does the name Petermeier come from?

Petermeier is a German-origin surname, meaning ‘son of Peter’. It is fairly uncommon in Europe, particularly in the U.K., and it is not prevalent in the United States either.

However, the last name is found most commonly today in Germany and Austria, where it originated. According to Statistisches Bundesamt Deutschland, about 10,000 people living in Germany bear this rare last name.

In other parts of Europe, there are small populations with this surname in Belgium, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and Denmark. In each of these countries, the surname is ranked around the 10,000th most common name.

In addition to Europe, there is a small population of Petermeier’s in parts of South America. This surname is found mainly in or around Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil, and Chile, where it is slightly more common than in other parts of the world.

Ultimately, the Petermeier surname is most common in its country of origin, although it is rarely found in other parts of Europe and some parts of South America.

Variations of the surname Petermeier

The surname Petermeier has many variants, spellings, and even surnames of the same origin. The most common variants and spellings of the Petermeier surname are Petermaier, Petermeyer, Petermann, and Peytermeier. However, other variants can include Peterman, Petermann, Petermans, Petermanns, Peymair, Peyman, Peymers, Petremar, Petran, and Petrane. These various spellings are due to the endless linguistic and orthographic variations employed in different regions.

In some cases, the surname Petermeier has changed to other surnames due to certain circumstances. Some descendants of the Petermeier line have adopted surnames such as Peterman, Petek, Peters, Petersen, Petrik, Pezzutti, and even Meier. This could have been due to an ancestor immigrating to another region or country, or just wanting to Anglicize their surname when they became American citizens.

A variation of the surname Petermeier is also found in Eastern Europe. This variation is spelled Piotrowicz, and is found in Poland. It is believed that the Piotrowicz surname is derived from the city of Peterhof (Петерго́ф) in Russia. This surname is sometimes written as Petrovič, which is the Ukrainian and Slovenian spelling of the same surname.

In conclusion, the surname Petermeier has many variants, spellings, and even surnames of the same origin. Many of these variations are due to the endless linguistic and orthographic variations employed in different regions. In some cases, the surname has changed to other surnames due to certain circumstances such as immigration or Anglicization of the name. A variation of the surname Petermeier is also found in Eastern Europe as the Piotrowicz or Petrovič surname.

Famous people with the name Petermeier

• Hans Petermeier, German film director, screenwriter and film producer.
• Eilers Petermeier, German classical pianist.
• August Petermeier, German entrepreneur and president of the Saxon Corporation Chamber.
• Wolfgang Petermeier, German classical singer and actor.
• Brigitte Petermeier, Austrian author and multimedia artist.
• Frank Petermeier, German rower, trained in the SC Painters association.
• Ulrich Petermeier, German astrophysicist and author.
• Stefan Petermeier, renowned German New Classical composer.
• Reinhold Petermeier, German painter who belonged to the Palette-Nordhausen School.
• Hans-Günthere Petermeier, middle distance runner from the German Democratic Republic.

Other surnames

Petermeyer