Surname Petigru - Meaning and Origin

Petigru: What does the surname Petigru mean?

The surname Petigru is of Scottish origin, specifically from the region of Fife in East Scotland. The name itself appears to have no specific meaning in English or any other language and likely refers to a geographical feature or location, as is common with many Scottish surnames. Notable people with this surname include James Louis Petigru, an American lawyer, politician, and jurist from South Carolina who was known for his opposition to secession on the eve of the American Civil War. However, beyond these historical connections, the surname Petigru holds no universal or common meaning and is simply a family name passed down through generations.

Petigru: Where does the name Petigru come from?

The Petigru family is primarily found in the United States, where the surname has been present since the early 19th century. Initially the name was most prominently represented in South Carolina, but as the family spread and married into other families, the surname has branched out to be found throughout the country.

Today the Petigru name is particularly common in the states of South Carolina, Georgia, and North Carolina. Those states have significant historic connections to the family, as South Carolina was considered the “cradle of the Petigru family”. In these states the name is fairly well-known, and can still be found in many local records and businesses, and many Petigrus still live within the region.

The Petigru name has also since spread out to other states in the United States, including Florida, Texas, and California. The family has also spread to other countries, with descendants having emigrated to places such as Canada, Mexico, and even Australia over the years.

Overall, the Petigru family is still a fairly well-known surname around the world, with a number of descendants still living in the United States and beyond. While its commonness has changed over the years, the Petigru name can still be find in historic and contemporary records, and many Petigrus still proudly carry on the family legacy.

Variations of the surname Petigru

The variants and alternate spellings of the surname Petigru are Petigrew, Petigrux, Pettigrew, Pettigru, Pettigrux, Pettigrew, Petigree, Petigruz, Petitgreu, Petitgru, Petitgrew, Pettigree, and Pettitgreu.

All of these surnames have a common origin in the French surname Petitgrew owing to the Huguenot families that migrated from France to America in the mid-17th century. The Huguenot refugees carried their old French patterns of naming with them when they arrived in the United States. For example, the French custom of adding an ‘x’ to a name such as Petigrew became Petigreux or Petitgrewx.

The ‘Petit’ in the French name meant ‘little’ and was later anglicised to Petigru or Pettigru. The ‘grew’ element translated from French to English simply as ‘grove’. Over time, the Petigru spelling of the surname has been adapted by many people, with some retaining the French occurance and others adapting it to sound more English.

The Petigru surname also has some connections to the Spanish family name Castaneda, as some Castanedas in America began using Petigru as a surname after migrating from Spain.

Overall, there are a variety of variants and alternate spellings of the surname Petigru that are all ultimately derived from the surname Petitgrew.

Famous people with the name Petigru

• John DeSaussure Petigru (1793-1863): A South Carolina lawyer and politician, Petigru was a staunch Unionist during the Civil War. He was also an advocate for states' rights and slavery.
• John Lawrence Petigru (1860–1937): The son of John DeSaussure Petigru, he was a successful businessman and lawyer who was President of the South Carolina Bar Association in 1923 and 1924.
• Col. George Randolph Petigru (1814-1891): A lawyer and Confederate officer, Petigru served in the Virginia legislature in 1840 and 1841.
• Susan Petigru King (1829-1897): The eldest daughter of John DeSaussure Petigru, she married prominent Charleston attorney, James Louis Petigru King, in 1843.
• Louis Petigru King (1850-1881): A prominent diplomat and Foreign Minister to the Ottoman Empire, he was the oldest son of James Louis Petigru King and Susan Petigru King.
• Charlotte Augusta Petigru (1853-1919): David Robert Petigru’s daughter, she wrote the novel Love and loyalty, A Story of 1861.
• William John Petigru (1844-1906): John DeSaussure Petigru’s nephew, he practiced law in San Francisco, California, and was a delegate to the Republican National Convention of 1892.
• Edisto Randolph Petigru (1838-1891): A son of Col. George Randolph Petigru, he was a Confederate officer in the Civil War.
• David Robert Petigru (1808-1890): John DeSaussure Petigru’s brother, he was a planter and soldier in the South Carolina Militia.

Other surnames

PetigkPetigrew