Peter
Peter was the 187th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 1,954 babies. Its best year was 1880, when it ranked 31st; the most babies were born in 1957 (11,603). Over the last ten years it has moved up 18 places. More babies were named Peter in the 1950s than in any other decade.
Meaning rock, stone · Greek, Aramaic
Say it PEE-ter /ˈpitər/
- Rank in 2025
- #187 boys, up 28 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 1,954boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 195711,603 babies
- Total since 1880
- 591,531babies recorded
What does the name Peter mean?
Peter comes from Greek Petros, 'rock, stone', which Wikipedia notes was itself a translation of Aramaic Kepha, 'rock', the new name Jesus gave to the apostle Simon. DMNES describes Peter as the apostle who became the first bishop of Rome, and lists countless saints and kings of the name. Wikipedia notes Piers as an old English variant, and Wiktionary calls Pedro and Piers doublets of Peter. Pedro, Pierre and Pietro are its Spanish, French and Italian forms.
πέτρος (Ancient Greek, “stone, rock”)כֵּיפָא (Aramaic, “Kepha, rock”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Pete, Piers, Pedro, Pierre, Pietro, Petra, Peyton.
See also: Greek names.
Sources for this meaning
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Peter', Durham University / The DMNES Editors
- New Testament, Matthew 16:18 (Greek text and translations via Bible Gateway), Bible Gateway
- Wiktionary, entry 'Peter', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- Wikipedia, 'Peter (given name)', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
Nicknames for Peter
The usual nicknames for Peter are Pete. Some parents skip the long form: for every 100 boys named Peter in the last five years, 3 were named Pete, against 3 twenty years earlier.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Boys, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pete | Traditional | #2,382 | 265 |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are boys given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Peters go by each one.
Peter popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 1,943 since 1887.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #187 | 1,954 |
| 2020 | #215 | 1,762 |
| 2010 | #193 | 1,935 |
| 2000 | #125 | 3,148 |
| 1990 | #74 | 5,224 |
| 1980 | #55 | 5,967 |
| 1970 | #44 | 8,056 |
| 1960 | #42 | 10,715 |
| 1950 | #37 | 8,362 |
| 1940 | #43 | 5,049 |
| 1930 | #56 | 3,266 |
| 1920 | #57 | 3,497 |
| 1910 | #56 | 631 |
| 1900 | #58 | 443 |
| 1890 | #45 | 410 |
| 1880 | #31 | 496 |
How popular is Peter, counting every spelling?
Peter is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #201 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #187 for Peter on its own. Together these spellings went to 1,959 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Peter | 1,954 | #187 | 9,161 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Peter?
1,954 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Peter (0.54 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Peter born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 4 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Peter.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Peter?
About 383,000 people born in the US named Peter are alive today, with a median age of 54; half are between 36 and 67. That makes Peter mostly worn by adults in their thirties to fifties.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Peter by state
How common Peter was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in District of Columbia (3.6×), Utah (3.0×), Alaska (2.8×), New Hampshire (2.6×), Montana (2.5×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in West Virginia, Mississippi, Florida.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Peter: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Peter, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Peter · Sibling names for Peter
Questions about the name Peter
What does Peter mean?
Peter means “rock, stone” (Greek, Aramaic origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Peter?
Peter was the 187th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 1,954 babies. Its best year was 1880, when it ranked 31st; the most babies were born in 1957 (11,603). Over the last ten years it has moved up 18 places. More babies were named Peter in the 1950s than in any other decade.
Is Peter a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Peter in the US.
Where is Peter most popular?
In 2021–2025, Peter was most common in District of Columbia (3.86 per 1,000 boys), followed by Utah and Alaska.