Petersen Family History, Genealogy & Ancestry

The Petersen Family

13,814 Petersen records from public death, burial and census records and the old county histories, in all 12 Midwestern states we cover. Every name is a real person in the public record, and we follow set rules to leave living people out (how).

13,814Records in our database

1818Earliest birth

1Documented families

3Biographies

See the Petersen family trees →1,821 Petersen families pieced together from public birth and death records, county histories and old newspapers

At a glance

13,814 Petersen records in our database

From public death, burial and census records across 12 Midwestern states. We follow set rules to leave living people out (how). Tap a state or a decade to narrow the list of ancestors below.

Where

fewer more

When they were born

Most records: Nebraska (2,943 of 13,814)
Most common birth decade: the 1910s
Earliest birth in the database: Nicholai Petersen, born 1818, Cerro Gordo County, Iowa

Most common first names

John214 Mary204 William197 Anna193 Robert191 Peter172 Carl170 Helen149 Walter147 Marie138 George137 Henry133

Documented families

Petersen families we have traced

Written from county histories and public records, every fact cited. We follow set rules to leave living people out (how).

Family histories, generation by generation (1)

The Petersen family of Scott CountyIowaStarts: Theodore Petersen (b. 1836)Most recent: Frederica (Petersen) Luetje (b. 1878)

The earliest Petersens in the county histories

Lauritz P. PetersenBorn 1848Child of Hans P. Petersen and Anna M. (Bryda) PetersenJackson County, Minnesota Carsten PetersenBorn 1849Child of Carsten Petersen and Anna K. (Jacobson) PetersenPlatte County, Nebraska Niles M. PetersenBorn 1851Franklin County, Ohio Peter PetersenBorn 1863Child of Peter Petersen and Ellen PetersenOtter Tail County, Minnesota Peter J. PetersenBorn 1866Platte County, Nebraska J. C. PetersenBorn 1868Child of Marcus Petersen and Anna (Hub) PetersenBoone County, Iowa

Family trees from the public record

1,821 Petersen families: parents, brothers and sistersFrom state birth and death indexes, county histories and old newspapers, most recent deaths first

In old newspapers

35 Petersen death notices, 1837 to 1925Obituaries and funeral notices from Midwest papers scanned by the Library of Congress, with the original pages

In the county history family index

15 Petersen people in 11 countiesBirth years, birthplaces, parents and spouses, from the old county histories

Biographies from the county histories (3)

Theodore PetersenBorn 1836 · Scott County, Iowa Adolph PetersenBorn 1858 · Scott County, Iowa Walter H. PetersenBorn 1877 · Scott County, Iowa

Done-for-you research

Trace your documented Petersen family

Found your Petersen? We trace your family back as far as the records go and write it up as a family history book, every source cited. No DNA test and no sales call: we take a free first look, then email you a plan and a flat price before you spend a dollar.

Common questions

Petersen genealogy: FAQ

Where were Petersen ancestors recorded?

Our database holds 13,814 Petersen records from all 12 Midwestern states. The most are in Nebraska (2,943), then Iowa (2,600) and Wisconsin (2,447).

How far back does the Petersen family tree go?

The earliest Petersen birth in our database is 1818: Nicholai Petersen, Cerro Gordo County, Iowa. We have pieced together 1,821 Petersen family trees from public birth and death records.

Are living Petersen family members listed here?

Not knowingly. We follow set rules to leave living people out of our public pages. If you find a living relative listed here, email us and we will take the record down.

Is this my Petersen family?

Maybe. Many people share a name, so treat any match as a possible match until the dates and places line up with what you know about your family. Every person here links to their own page with the details, and we can trace your line for you.