indicate the level to which a name has been verified.
Type Surname (from nickname)
Usage English
Other Forms FormsPettyfer, Pettipher, Petipher, Petifer, Petiver, Pettiford, Pettifor
Meaning & History
Nickname for a good infantryman, an old soldier who had lost a foot, or a person who was never tired of walking, derived from Old French pedefer, pied de fer meaning "iron foot".