Meaning and background
The story behind Peterson
Peterson is a surname of descent connected with Peter. The Dictionary of American Family Names records English, Scottish and German patronymic use and explains that North American examples have also absorbed cognate surnames from other languages. Swedish Petersson and Pettersson are among the related forms it discusses. That makes the Peter relationship useful evidence while leaving room for different migration histories in a family tribute for a dog.
- Origin
- Patronymic surname from Peter, with English/Scottish/German use and several absorbed North American cognate forms. Source
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About Peterson
Recorded as a dog’s name
Peterson appears in 2 dog licence records in the 2022 New York City dataset.
How to read this count
These records cover New York City and may count the same dog in more than one licence period. They are not a national popularity ranking.
Pronunciation and rhythm
/pitɚsən/
US English sound sequence, converted from the CMU dictionary. Stress marks are shown separately.
Stress on the first syllable in the recorded US readings.
View dictionary notation
/pitɚsən/ · primary stress on syllable 1P IY1 T ER0 S AH0 N
These are US dictionary readings. Personal, regional and other language pronunciations may differ.
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Sources and research notes (2)
- New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene NYC Dog Licensing Dataset — all seven available extract years, retrieved 24 October 2026 — Recorded name spellings in NYC licence-period rows, extract years 2016–2018, 2022–2024 and 2026. Evidence selects one stated year per name. Annual snapshots overlap; never sum them as unique dogs. No national popularity, etymology or owner naming-intent claim.
- Carnegie Mellon University / CMU Sphinx maintainers CMU US English Pronouncing Dictionary — US English dictionary readings; not owner-specific or exhaustive multilingual pronunciation
References support the individual facts shown. A source link does not mean the entire profile has been verified.