Surname Petke - Meaning and Origin
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Petke: What does the surname Petke mean?
The surname Petke is of German and Slavic origin. It is derived from the German word ‘petka’, meaning ‘payday’. The name was most likely a nickname used to refer to people who were known to be diligent in paying their bills on time. Alternatively, the surname may have derived from the Slavic word ‘petk’, which means ‘tailor's measuring rule’. This suggests that the name refers to people who were skilled tailors or seamstresses.
The Petke surname is found throughout the world, particularly in Germany, the Czech Republic, and other Slavic countries. It is also found in Poland, Belarus, Ukraine, Russia, the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia. In the United States, Petke is the 5,119th most common surname, with 12,297 people holding the surname as of 2020. In Germany, it is the 517th most common, with approximately 10,000 bearers.
In general, it appears that the Petke surname is associated with diligent and skilled workers – a family tradition that would have undoubtedly passed down from one generation to the next.
Order DNA origin analysisPetke: Where does the name Petke come from?
The last name Petke is most commonly found in countries in the northern region of Europe, such as Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, and Denmark. It is also noticeable in areas of North America that have close connections to Germanic culture, such as Minnesota and Wisconsin in the USA, and parts of Canada. In South Africa the name is also notable due to the influx of Europeans during the 1800s and early 1900s.
Records have the earliest mention of the name in the Netherlands in 1508, and later on in Moravia, part of the present-day Czech Republic. Historically, the last name Petke held no special privilege or status due to it being a ‘lowborn’ name. It was most likely derived from ‘Petke’, an informal way of calling a peasant farmer or herdman in Low Germanic languages.
The origin of the name may also stem from the personal name ‘Peter’, derived from the Greek Petros meaning “stone”. Such personal names were popular amongst the early Christians of Europe. Its variants are also common throughout Europe, with different iterations of the name present in almost all languages of Europe.
Overall, the last name Petke is still quite visible in certain parts of the world, and has remained unchanged for centuries. It is a clear testament of the staying power of human families through the eras.
Variations of the surname Petke
The surname Petke is derived from the Germanic first name "Petko", which can be found in various forms across Europe. In German, Petke is typically spelled with a "k" at the end of the name, while in the Czech Republic, it is often spelled with a "ch". In other Slavic languages such as Bulgarian, Polish, and Slovenian, the name is typically written as "Petke".
Variations of the spelling of Petke often include Petkev, Petkov, Petka, Petkovic or Petkovich. Other variants include Petek, Petka, Petko, Petkovic, Pietka, Pietke, Pietkev, Pietkov, Pietkovic, or Ptaszek. In addition, similar-sounding surnames, such as Petek, Petka, Pietka, Pietkiewicz, Petouchkov, Petoushkov, Petrovsky, Petrofsky, and Petrofskij are popular.
Surnames with similar origins to Petke include some anglicized forms such as Petka or Petkaveewski. Other Anglicized versions include Petek, Petch, Peternak, and Petrovich. In Ukrainian, the surname can be transliterated from Cyrillic as Петко or Petko.
The origins of the family name Petke are uncertain, though it likely originates from an early Germanic first name, and is likely associated with the Old High German term "petro" meaning "rock". It is possible that the name was originally a patronymic derived from the Old High German words "peti" meaning "people” and "er" meaning "a man," suggesting a meaning of "protector of the people."
Famous people with the name Petke
- Michael Petke: American soccer coach and retired player
- Aleksandar Petke: Slovenian hockey player
- Marian Petke: German cross-country skier who competed in the 1956 Olympic Games
- Patric Petke: Zambian cricketer
- Jacques Petke: French soccer player
- Steve Petke: American basketball player
- Sylvia Petke: German sprinter
- Karl Petke: East German hurdler who won the gold medal at the 1972 Olympic Games
- Brigitte Petke: Swiss alpine skier who competed in the 1968 Olympic Games
- Gunther Petke: German decathlete and bronze medalist from 1972 Olympic Games
- Olga Petke: Soviet cross-country skier who competed in the 1970s
- Michel Petke: Dutch figure skater who competed in the 1972 Olympic Games
- Uwe Petke: German sprinter and bronze medalist from the 1976 Olympic Games