A German and English surname meaning son of Peter. The given name Peter comes from the Greek term ‘petros’ which means stone.

The other spelling forms are Peter, Petersen and Peters.

In England Peterson is found in the London area and in Lancashire and Yorkshire counties. In Germany, Peterson is also a common surname.

Within the United States it is Illinois and Minnesota with the highest numbers of Peterson families. Nearby states of Wisconsin, Michigan and Iowa also have many Morgans.

Famous: Carla Peterson (actress from Argentina), Donald H. Peterson (U. S. astronaut), John W. Peterson (songwriter), Morris Peterson (professional basketball player), Oscar Peterson (jazz pianist and music composer from Canada), Jesse Peterson ( President of the United Indurated Fibre Company, President of the Buffalo Warehouse & Distributing Company, Owner of the Cascade Pulp Mills) and Amanda Peterson (actress).