Meaning & History
Petruchio is an anglicised form of the Italian name Petruccio, used by William Shakespeare in his play The Taming of the Shrew (c. 1590–1594) for the male protagonist who woos and weds the fiery Katherina, or Kate. The name is ultimately derived from Peter, via Petruccio, a medieval diminutive of Pietro (the Italian form of Peter). The Greek Πέτρος (Petros) and the earlier Aramaic Cephas both mean 'stone', a name given by Jesus to the apostle Simon, as recorded in Matthew 16:18 and John 1:42.
Origin and Form
Petruchio reproduces the sound of the Italian Petruccio to suit English tongue and spelling conventions. The underlying name Pietro – the Italian equivalent of Peter – has broad European parallels, all ultimately stemming from the biblical figure Saint Peter and his epithet of solid, foundational faith. The use of Petruccio as a diminutive is a conventional Italian affectionate or familiarity-forming suffix.
Shakespeare's Character
In The Taming of the Shrew, Petruchio arrives in Padua seeking a wealthy spouse. He is undeterred by Kate's notorious temper and claims to have already tamed her (to her father's delight). After two brief screenings, the two are married with Petruchio arriving late, dressed shockingly, and dragging Kate from the feast. Throughout the remaining action, Petruchio psychologically starves and berates Kate into submission, employing a variety of pretences and inversions to cure her shrewishness – a theme that remains a focus of literary controversy to this day.
Usage and Distribution
As a given name, Petruchio is extremely rare outside of references to the Shakespearean character. Its usage is confined almost entirely to English-language contexts, often as a deliberately literary or theatrical nod. It holds no independent presence as a given name of significant statistical frequency.
Related Names
Sources: Wikipedia — Petruchio