boy's name
Peterson
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 3
- Letters 8
- Popularity Rare
- Births on record 921
Peterson is a boy's name with 3 syllables. In 2025 it was given to 9 babies in the United States. It is a rare choice.
- Peaked in 1989, when 28 babies were given the name.
- Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 368,460 babies in the United States is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1950.
- 3 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Peterson over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1950s 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 |
|---|---|
| 1950s | 37 |
| 1960s | 50 |
| 1970s | 69 |
| 1980s | 178 |
| 1990s | 175 |
| 2000s | 143 |
| 2010s | 114 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 53 |
How popular is Peterson?
In 2025, Peterson was given to 9 babies in the United States. It is a rare choice.
Where Peterson 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 Peterson
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Peterson also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Peterson over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Sibling names for Peterson
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Peterson — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Peterson
How popular is the name Peterson?
In 2025, Peterson was given to 9 babies in the United States. It is a rare choice.
Is Peterson a girl's or a boy's name?
Peterson is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Peterson?
Peterson has 3 syllables.
When was Peterson most popular?
Peterson peaked in 1989, when 28 babies were given the name. Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
Is Peterson a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Peterson currently ranks #8,411 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.