{{distinguish|Peterson (disambiguation){{!}}Peterson}} {{Infobox surname | name = Petersen | pronunciation = ''PeH-teHr-seHn'' | meaning = “son of Peter” | region = Scandinavia: Denmark, Norway, Sweden; Northern Germany: Former old Danish territories. | origin = Nordic | variant = Peterson<br/>Pettersen<br/>Pedersen }} '''Petersen''' is a common Danish patronymic surname, meaning ''"son of Peter"''. There are other spellings. Petersen may refer to: {{TOC right}}
==People== ===In arts and entertainment=== * Adolf Dahm-Petersen, Norwegian voice specialist * Anja Petersen, German operatic soprano and university lecturer * Anker Eli Petersen, Faroese writer and artist * Ann Petersen, Belgian actress * Arona Petersen, (1908-1995), author, chef and businesswoman from the Virgin Islands * Christina Petersen (born 1974), German actress * Devon Petersen (born 1986), South African darts player * Elmer Petersen, American artist * Eugen Petersen (1836-1919), German classical archaeologist and philologist * Gustaf Munch-Petersen, Danish writer and painter * Joel Petersen, bass guitarist * John Hahn-Petersen, Danish actor * Josef Petersen, Danish novelist * Patrick Petersen, American actor * Paul Petersen, American movie actor, singer, novelist, and activist * Robert E. Petersen, publisher, auto museum founder * Robert Storm Petersen, Danish cartoonist, writer, animator, illustrator, painter and humorist * Sandy Petersen, American game designer * Uwe Fahrenkrog-Petersen, German musician * William Petersen, American actor * Wolfgang Petersen (1941–2022), German film director
===In government and politics=== * Alicia O'Shea Petersen, Australian activist * Alfonso Petersen, Mayor of Guadalajara, Mexico * Andrew Petersen, member of the United States House of Representatives * Carl Wilhelm Petersen (1868–1933), German politician and first mayor of Hamburg * Chap (John Chapman) Petersen, American, Virginia politician * Cynthia Petersen, Canadian judge * Elsebeth Kock-Petersen, Danish politician * Ewa Hedkvist Petersen, Swedish politician * Flo Bjelke-Petersen, Australian politician and writer * George Petersen, Australian politician * Hans Christian Petersen, Norwegian politician * Harald Petersen, Danish politician * Hjalmar Petersen, American politician * Jan Petersen (politician), Norwegian diplomat and politician * Jasmine Petersen, South African politician * Joh Bjelke-Petersen, Australian politician * Kim E. Petersen, (born 1956) American security and counter-terrorism expert * Marita Petersen, Faroese politician * Matthew S. Petersen, U.S. Federal Election Commission member * Niels Helveg Petersen, Danish politician * Olga Petersen (born 1982), German politician * P. Walter Petersen, American politician * Søren Jessen-Petersen, Danish United Nations official
===In music=== * Petersen Zagaze Zambian singer and songwriter.
===In military=== * Danny J. Petersen, American Medal of Honor recipient * Forrest S. Petersen, United States Navy admiral and aviator * Frank E. Petersen, retired United States Marine Corps lieutenant general * Sigmund R. Petersen, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Officer Corps (NOAA Corps) rear admiral and fourth Director of the NOAA Corps
===In religion=== * Johann Wilhelm Petersen, German theologian, mystic, and Millennialist. * Johanna Eleonora Petersen, German theologian, exponent of Radical Pietism * Mark E. Petersen, member of Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (LDS Church) * Ole Peter Petersen, founder of Methodism in Norway * Sofie Petersen (born 1955), Lutheran bishop in Greenland
===In sport=== * Alviro Petersen, South African cricketer * Cal Petersen (born 1994), professional ice hockey goaltender * Chris Petersen (born 1964), American football coach * Ike Petersen, American football player * Johannes Petersen, Danish chess master * Kenneth Emil Petersen (born 1985), Danish footballer * Lou Petersen, New Zealand dual-code rugby international * Matthew Petersen, Australian rugby player * Michael Petersen (baseball) (born 1994), American baseball player * Morten Petersen, Danish football player * Nils Petersen, German football player * Sara Petersen (badminton), New Zealand badminton player * Sara Petersen (hurdler), Danish 400 metres hurdler * Ted Petersen, football player * Thyge Petersen, Danish boxer
===In other fields=== * Anders Petersen (disambiguation) * Carl Petersen (disambiguation) * Grant Petersen, American bicycle company owner * Jack Petersen (disambiguation) * Johan Carl Christian Petersen, Danish seaman, interpreter, and Arctic explorer * Johanne Christine Petersen, Danish educator * Julius Petersen, Danish mathematician * Julius Petersen, Literary scholar and university professor * Rodney L. Petersen, American scholar of history, ethics, and religious conflict * Ron Petersen (born 1934), American mycologist with the standard author abbreviation "R.H.Petersen" * Sophie Petersen (1885–1965), Danish geographer
==Other uses== * Petersen (film), a 1974 Australian drama film * Petersen Automotive Museum * Petersen Bay, Greenland * Petersen graph, famous for its special properties in graph theory * Petersen family, a particular family of seven graphs transformable to each other via Δ–Y or Y–Δ transforms
==See also== * Bjelke-Petersen * Pedersen, surname * Peterson (surname)
{{surname}}<!-- It does not help to add disambig or hndis tags where the page only contains people who share a surname. -->
{{Peter-surname}}
Category:Danish-language surnames Category:Norwegian-language surnames Category:Swedish-language surnames Category:Patronymic surnames Category:Surnames derived from given names Category:German-language surnames