Boy nameCurrently #192 in the USSteady
Peter
PEE-ter//ˈpiːtər//
2 syllablesPeak year: 19575 lettersStarts with P
Meaning & origin
Rock, stone
Peter comes from the Greek 'petros', meaning rock or stone, given by Jesus to Simon as a new name signifying his role as the foundation of the Church. Its steady biblical weight has kept it a dependable, timeless classic.
Peter's popularity over time
| Year | Births named Peter |
|---|---|
| 1880 | 496 |
| 1881 | 428 |
| 1882 | 461 |
| 1883 | 450 |
| 1884 | 524 |
| 1885 | 516 |
| 1886 | 437 |
| 1887 | 427 |
| 1888 | 498 |
| 1889 | 425 |
| 1890 | 410 |
| 1891 | 396 |
| 1892 | 465 |
| 1893 | 392 |
| 1894 | 391 |
| 1895 | 412 |
| 1896 | 402 |
| 1897 | 397 |
| 1898 | 409 |
| 1899 | 360 |
| 1900 | 443 |
| 1901 | 343 |
| 1902 | 433 |
| 1903 | 372 |
| 1904 | 395 |
| 1905 | 409 |
| 1906 | 433 |
| 1907 | 473 |
| 1908 | 542 |
| 1909 | 539 |
| 1910 | 631 |
| 1911 | 850 |
| 1912 | 1,684 |
| 1913 | 1,943 |
| 1914 | 2,636 |
| 1915 | 3,322 |
| 1916 | 3,383 |
| 1917 | 3,477 |
| 1918 | 3,722 |
| 1919 | 3,391 |
| 1920 | 3,514 |
| 1921 | 3,564 |
| 1922 | 3,569 |
| 1923 | 3,427 |
| 1924 | 3,537 |
| 1925 | 3,386 |
| 1926 | 3,378 |
| 1927 | 3,327 |
| 1928 | 3,329 |
| 1929 | 3,241 |
| 1930 | 3,282 |
| 1931 | 3,138 |
| 1932 | 3,152 |
| 1933 | 3,153 |
| 1934 | 3,313 |
| 1935 | 3,432 |
| 1936 | 3,727 |
| 1937 | 3,823 |
| 1938 | 4,309 |
| 1939 | 4,650 |
| 1940 | 5,069 |
| 1941 | 5,620 |
| 1942 | 6,605 |
| 1943 | 6,894 |
| 1944 | 6,362 |
| 1945 | 6,505 |
| 1946 | 7,496 |
| 1947 | 8,609 |
| 1948 | 8,070 |
| 1949 | 8,281 |
| 1950 | 8,372 |
| 1951 | 9,013 |
| 1952 | 9,599 |
| 1953 | 9,753 |
| 1954 | 10,104 |
| 1955 | 11,022 |
| 1956 | 11,354 |
| 1957 | 11,629 |
| 1958 | 10,775 |
| 1959 | 11,317 |
| 1960 | 10,745 |
| 1961 | 10,385 |
| 1962 | 9,603 |
| 1963 | 9,634 |
| 1964 | 9,924 |
| 1965 | 9,416 |
| 1966 | 8,616 |
| 1967 | 8,337 |
| 1968 | 8,151 |
| 1969 | 7,868 |
| 1970 | 8,097 |
| 1971 | 7,063 |
| 1972 | 6,505 |
| 1973 | 5,939 |
| 1974 | 5,972 |
| 1975 | 5,720 |
| 1976 | 5,479 |
| 1977 | 5,856 |
| 1978 | 5,910 |
| 1979 | 6,118 |
| 1980 | 6,015 |
| 1981 | 6,032 |
| 1982 | 5,818 |
| 1983 | 5,521 |
| 1984 | 5,680 |
| 1985 | 5,704 |
| 1986 | 5,841 |
| 1987 | 5,587 |
| 1988 | 5,453 |
| 1989 | 5,432 |
| 1990 | 5,245 |
| 1991 | 4,970 |
| 1992 | 4,616 |
| 1993 | 4,548 |
| 1994 | 4,239 |
| 1995 | 4,127 |
| 1996 | 4,089 |
| 1997 | 3,838 |
| 1998 | 3,389 |
| 1999 | 3,439 |
| 2000 | 3,154 |
| 2001 | 2,950 |
| 2002 | 2,873 |
| 2003 | 2,804 |
| 2004 | 2,797 |
| 2005 | 2,559 |
| 2006 | 2,486 |
| 2007 | 2,337 |
| 2008 | 2,186 |
| 2009 | 2,009 |
| 2010 | 1,934 |
| 2011 | 1,838 |
| 2012 | 1,869 |
| 2013 | 1,854 |
| 2014 | 1,923 |
| 2015 | 1,938 |
| 2016 | 1,926 |
| 2017 | 1,792 |
| 2018 | 1,826 |
| 2019 | 1,819 |
| 2020 | 1,762 |
| 2021 | 1,785 |
| 2022 | 1,779 |
| 2023 | 1,749 |
| 2024 | 1,889 |
Peter through the decades
- Peter peaked in 1957, when 11,629 babies were named Peter in the US.
- Over the last 10 years of data (2015–2024), use of Peter has fallen 13% compared to the 10 years before that.
- Peter currently ranks #192 in the US and is holding steady.
Nicknames
Pete
Variants & spellings
PedroPietro
Famous people named Peter
- Peter Pan — J.M. Barrie character