Meanings
Origin
Unknown, although possibly from the French phrase "petit cru" (small growth) from Anglo-Norman French "petit creu", thus as a nickname for a small/short man. Other interpretations include from the French phrase "pie de grue" (crane's foot), i.e., someone with long legs (cf. pedigree, from Anglo-French "pe de gru", a variant of Old French pied de gru, "foot of a crane"). Attested from the 13th century as an English surname.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
Pettigrew. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Pettigrew
“Pettigrew.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Pettigrew. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Pettigrew,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Pettigrew.
Source: Pettigrew on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.