Peter Boy

Popularity: #184 · Trend: ↘ Falling

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: PEE-tur //ˈpiːtər//

Origin: Greek; Latin

Meaning: Greek: rock; Latin: stone

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Peter originates from the Greek word "petros," meaning "rock" or "stone." This term was derived from the earlier Greek word "petras," which also signifies a rock or cliff. The name was adopted into Latin as "Petrus," which was subsequently used in early Christian texts.

The introduction of the name into English occurred through the Old French form "Pierre," which was brought to England after the Norman Conquest in the 11th century. Thus, the name Peter has a rich linguistic lineage that traces back to ancient Greek and Latin, reflecting its foundational meaning in Christian theology.

Historically, the name Peter is most famously associated with Saint Peter, one of Jesus Christ's apostles, who is often regarded as the first Pope in Catholic tradition. His significance is underscored in the New Testament, where Jesus refers to him as the "rock" upon which the Church would be built, a pivotal moment that solidified the name's importance in Christian history.

The Vulgate, a late 4th-century Latin translation of the Bible, further popularized the name through its use in biblical texts. Over the centuries, numerous saints and martyrs named Peter have contributed to the name's enduring legacy within Christianity.

Culturally, the name Peter has been imbued with connotations of strength and reliability, reflective of its etymological roots. It has been a common name among various Christian communities, symbolizing faith and steadfastness.

The name has also inspired numerous variations and diminutives across different languages and cultures, such as "Pietro" in Italian and "Pieter" in Dutch, each carrying the same foundational meaning. The enduring nature of the name Peter in various forms across cultures highlights its significant role in religious and historical contexts.

Famous people named Peter

In this section, you will find notable people named Peter. We include individuals across a wide range of fields, including actors known for their work in film, television, and stage productions. You'll also find musicians, directors, and other public figures named Peter who have made a significant impact on popular culture.

We also feature individuals named Peter who have made meaningful contributions to science, politics, athletics, literature, and other areas of public interest.

Please note that not every baby name in our database currently has a famous namesake listed. If you would like to suggest a name we may have missed or submit a correction, feel free to contact us. We review and finalize additions and corrections within 24 hours.

Peter Parker is a fictional superhero best known for Spider-Man, The Amazing Spider-Man, and Spider-Man: Homecoming.

Peter Jackson is a film director best known for The Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Hobbit trilogy, and King Kong.

Peter Dinklage is an actor best known for Game of Thrones, The Station Agent, and Elf.

Peter Gabriel is a musician best known for his work with Genesis, Sledgehammer, and In Your Eyes.

Peter O'Toole is an actor best known for Lawrence of Arabia, The Lion in Winter, and My Favorite Year.

Peter Sellers is an actor and comedian best known for Dr. Strangelove, The Pink Panther, and Being There.

Peter Cushing is an actor best known for his roles in Star Wars, Hammer Horror films, and The Curse of Frankenstein.

Peter Sarsgaard is an actor best known for Boys Don't Cry, An Education, and Night and Day.

Peter Fonda is an actor best known for Easy Rider, Ulee's Gold, and The Wild Angels.

Peter Lorre is an actor best known for Casablanca, M, and The Maltese Falcon.

Peter Frampton is a musician best known for Frampton Comes Alive!, Show Me the Way, and Baby, I Love Your Way.

Peter Ustinov is an actor and writer best known for Spartacus, Death on the Nile, and The Last of Mrs. Cheyney.

Peter Capaldi is an actor best known for Doctor Who, The Thick of It, and In the Loop.

Peter Tork is a musician best known for being a member of The Monkees, and for his work on their television series.

Peter Andre is a singer and television personality best known for Mysterious Girl, and his appearances on British reality television.

Peter Molyneux is a video game designer best known for the Fable series, Dungeon Keeper, and Black & White.

Fictional characters named Peter

The following list of fictional characters named Peter is a work in progress. If you would like to suggest an additional character, please send us the character's name along with a brief, one-sentence description of what they are best known for.

You may also submit corrections, which we will review and update as quickly as possible.

Peter Parker is a fictional character from the comic book series Spider-Man. He is a high school student who gains spider-like abilities and becomes a superhero to protect New York City.

Peter Pan is a fictional character from the play and novel Peter Pan. He is a mischievous boy who can fly and never grows up, leading children on adventures in Neverland.

Peter Griffin is a fictional character from the animated television series Family Guy. He is the bumbling and often inappropriate father of the Griffin family, known for his humorous antics.

Peter Venkman is a fictional character from the film Ghostbusters. He is a parapsychologist and one of the founding members of the Ghostbusters team, known for his charm and wit.

Peter Quill is a fictional character from the Marvel Cinematic Universe and comic book series Guardians of the Galaxy. He is a human-alien hybrid and the leader of the Guardians, known for his adventurous spirit and love of music.

Sibling suggestions

If you're looking for sibling name ideas that pair well with Peter, the following options are frequently chosen as complementary choices by parents.

PaulMarkJamesJohnAndrewMatthew

Similar names

Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Peter. These names can serve as alternatives to the sibling suggestions listed above and may help you find the perfect complementary name for your growing family.

PatrickPerryPaxtonParkerPrestonPeytonPhineasPercy

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Peter was first seen in the United States in 1880.

Peter has ranked as high as #69 nationally, which occurred in 1957, and has been most popular in New York, California, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Illinois.

In the past 5 years the name Peter has been trending down compared to the previous 5 years.

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Peter is part of our comprehensive baby names database, which includes Social Security Administration (SSA) data dating back to 1880—the first official year of state and national tracking. The chart below shows when Peter was first recorded in the United States and illustrates how its popularity has risen and fallen over time.

Top States for Peter (2024)

We track the most popular states for each baby name every year and highlight the locations where the name appears most frequently. In some cases, you may see four or five states listed. However, we only display states where the name represents a significant percentage of births, so the number of states shown can range from one to several.

State Births Share
CA 158
9%
TX 138
8%
NY 115
6%
PA 96
5%
FL 82
5%
OH 75
4%
MI 71
4%
IL 68
4%
UT 67
4%
VA 61
3%
WA 59
3%
GA 54
3%
MA 53
3%
MN 53
3%
NC 49
3%

Popularity Over Time (National) — Table

We track the national popularity of each baby name annually. The table below displays each year along with the number of births reported by the Social Security Administration. This data combines all state-level reporting from the SSA's baby names database to provide a comprehensive view of overall birth counts for Peter.

YearBirths
20241,889
20231,749
20221,773
20211,785
20201,762
20191,819
20181,826
20171,792
20161,926
20151,938
20141,923
20131,854
20121,869
20111,838
20101,934
20092,009
20082,186
20072,337
20062,481
20052,553
20042,790
20032,804
20022,873
20012,950
20003,148
19993,439
19983,389
19973,828
19964,082
19954,112
19944,223
19934,539
19924,598
19914,959
19905,224
19895,411
19885,424
19875,554
19865,797
19855,674
19845,637
19835,484
19825,777
19815,999
19805,968
19796,080
19785,874
19775,823
19765,445
19755,698
19745,941
19735,913
19726,475
19717,024
19708,057
19697,832
19688,121
19678,313
19668,583
19659,396
19649,908
19639,611
19629,587
196110,346
196010,714
195911,290
195810,755
195711,604
195611,335
195511,003
195410,086
19539,730
19529,586
19518,999
19508,366
19498,265
19488,049
19478,590
19467,481
19456,483
19446,340
19436,877
19426,587
19415,607
19405,049
19394,639
19384,293
19373,809
19363,714
19353,421
19343,290
19333,137
19323,130
19313,122
19303,266
19293,216
19283,300
19273,301
19263,359
19253,373
19243,520
19233,409
19223,545
19213,548
19203,497
19193,375
19183,711
19173,464
19163,370
19153,302
19142,624
19131,934
19121,679
1911845
1910631
1909539
1908542
1907473
1906427
1905409
1904395
1903372
1902433
1901343
1900443
1899354
1898409
1897397
1896402
1895412
1894391
1893392
1892465
1891396
1890410
1889425
1888498
1887421
1886437
1885516
1884524
1883450
1882461
1881428
1880496