Peters (surname) Peters (surname) Peters is a patronymic surname (Peter's son) of Dutch, English and Low German origin. It can also be an English translation of Gaelic Mac Pheadair (same meaning) or an Americanized form of cognate surnames like Peeters or Pieters.. As of 2014, 34.4% of all known bearers of the surname "Peters" were residents of the United States (frequency 1:2,037), 23.6% of Germany (1:658), 6.4% of the Netherlands (1:511), 5.4% of Canada (1:1,328), 5.2% of Nigeria (1:6,574), 4.8% of England (1:2,261), 3.9% of South Africa (1:2,708), 3.1% of Australia (1:1,482), 1.2% of Togo (1:1,226), 1.1% of Sierra Leone (1:1,214) and
Poland (surname) the examples where the 'Mac' or 'Mc' has been dropped can be explained for several reasons. In English controlled areas of Ireland (especially around The Pale), it was declared that the Irish take on names in an English form and many were required to do so in order to do business with the powers that be, or to obtain a tenancy on English controlled land. Census takers were also allowed to use either form, with or without the Gaelic prefix. It also was not uncommon for the 'Mac' or 'Mc' prefix to simply be incorporated into the surname to result