Pieter
Pieter was the 13408th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 5 babies. Its best year was 1967, when it ranked 1597th with 24 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 4,053 places. More babies were named Pieter in the 1980s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Peter) rock, stone · Greek, Aramaic
- Rank in 2025
- #13,408 boys, down 4,069 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 5boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 196724 babies
- Total since 1880
- 1,011babies recorded
What does the name Pieter mean?
Pieter is a spelling of Peter, pronounced the same way, so it shares Peter's meaning and origin.
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
Pieter popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #13,408 | 5 |
| 2020 | #9,339 | 8 |
| 2010 | #9,455 | 8 |
| 2000 | #5,504 | 13 |
| 1990 | #2,848 | 23 |
| 1980 | #3,384 | 13 |
| 1970 | #2,270 | 17 |
| 1960 | #3,578 | 7 |
| 1950 | #3,597 | 6 |
| 1940 | #3,062 | 7 |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Pieter, counting every spelling?
Pieter is a spelling of Peter, a name family that ranked #201 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #13,408 for Pieter 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 Pieter?
5 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Pieter (0.00 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Pieter 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 1,661 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Pieter.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Pieter?
About 900 people born in the US named Pieter are alive today, with a median age of 42; half are between 28 and 58. That makes Pieter 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.
Pieter by state
How common Pieter was among boys born in each state in 1965–1969, around its peak. In 50 states fewer than five boys a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Pieter: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Pieter, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Pieter
What does Pieter mean?
Pieter is a spelling of Peter, which means “rock, stone” (Greek, Aramaic origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Pieter?
Pieter was the 13408th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 5 babies. Its best year was 1967, when it ranked 1597th with 24 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 4,053 places. More babies were named Pieter in the 1980s than in any other decade.
Is Pieter a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Pieter in the US.
Where was Pieter most popular?
In 1965–1969, Pieter was most common in California (0.01 per 1,000 boys).