boy's name
Peter
PEE-tər
- Origin Greek
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 2
- Letters 5
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 646,412
the United States
#187
2025 births
Peter is a boy's name of Greek origin meaning "rock." It began as a nickname rather than a name: Jesus gave it to Simon as a pun, and there is no evidence of Petros being used as a Greek personal name before that.
- Peter is a name of Greek origin.
- Peaked in 1957, when 11,628 babies were given the name.
- Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 1,697 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Peter over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 4,662 |
| 1890s | 4,034 |
| 1900s | 4,381 |
| 1910s | 25,039 |
| 1920s | 34,270 |
| 1930s | 35,980 |
| 1940s | 69,513 |
| 1950s | 102,931 |
| 1960s | 92,686 |
| 1970s | 62,649 |
| 1980s | 57,071 |
| 1990s | 42,501 |
| 2000s | 26,160 |
| 2010s | 18,725 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 10,929 |
What Peter means
Peter means rock or stone. It is an ordinary Greek noun pressed into use as a name, which is why it has almost no history before the first century — a common word, not an inherited name.
Where Peter comes from
Peter comes from the Greek petros, a stone, translating the Aramaic Kephas that Jesus gives Simon — you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church. The wordplay works in both languages. Petros is not attested as a Greek personal name before this, so far as the record goes, which makes Peter close to a name created by a pun; the Aramaic Kepha is a partial exception, since a personal name of that form appears in the fifth-century BC Elephantine papyri, and scholars have argued over whether it is the same word. Either way, every Peter, Pedro, Pierre, Pietro, Piet and Pyotr descends from that one act of nicknaming. The word also survives in petrify, petroleum and saltpetre.
Peter in use
Our data shows Peter falling, peaking in 1957, and it first appears in our records in 1880 and has never left them. It is among the very few names on this site that can be dated to a specific act of naming by a specific person — a category otherwise occupied by literary coinages like Evangeline and Wendy.
How popular is Peter?
In 2025, Peter was given to 1,954 babies in the United States, ranking #187 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Where Peter is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Peter
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Peter also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Peter over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
2 nicknames for Peter
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Peter in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Peter
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Peter — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Peter
What does the name Peter mean?
Peter means "rock," from the Greek petros.
Was Peter a name before the Bible?
Not in Greek, so far as the record shows — petros was an ordinary noun for a stone. The Aramaic equivalent Kepha does appear as a personal name in fifth-century BC papyri, and scholars dispute whether that is the same word.
What was Peter's real name?
Simon. Peter is the nickname — the Aramaic Kephas, rendered in Greek as Petros.
How popular is the name Peter?
In 2025, Peter was given to 1,954 babies in the United States, ranking #187 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Is Peter a girl's or a boy's name?
Peter is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Peter?
Peter has 2 syllables.
When was Peter most popular?
Peter peaked in 1957, when 11,628 babies were given the name. Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
What are the nicknames for Peter?
Peter is usually shortened to Pete and Petey.
Is Peter a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Peter currently ranks #153 in the United States. Its usage has held steady over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.