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At a Glance: Name: Peter – Meaning: rock or stone – Origin: Ancient Greek (via Latin) – Gender: Boy – Pronunciation: PEE-tur
Peter is a boy's name meaning 'rock or stone,' with roots in Ancient Greek by way of Latin. It's pronounced PEE-tur (/ˈpiːtər/) and falls under the nature-wanderer and vintage-soul style tags, with a vintage era classification. You may have seen Peter listed as meaning 'bearer of Christ' — that claim isn't supported by the sources; the name actually comes from the Aramaic word Kefa, meaning 'rock, stone,' which Jesus gave to the apostle Simon.
Meaning & Origin of Peter
Meaning: Rock or stone.
Origin: Ancient Greek (via Latin).
A common claim: Peter is sometimes claimed to mean 'bearer of Christ.' Actually: That's not supported by our sources — Peter actually derives from the Aramaic name Kefa ('rock, stone'), which Jesus gave to the apostle Simon.
Source: Wiktionary, Wikipedia.
How to Pronounce Peter
Phonetic: PEE-tur IPA: /ˈpiːtər/
Popularity of Peter
According to SSA data spanning 1880 to 2024, Peter peaked at #31 in 1880 with 496 babies given the name, and most recently ranked #192 in 2024 with 1,889 babies.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration birth-name data via names_full.json, 1880–2024.
Make Peter Name Art
Free printable nursery art for Peter, pre-loaded below — pick a layout, palette, and font, then download a print-ready PNG.
Names With a Similar Story
Derived from shared style, era, and origin data (or, for names without a catalog record, a similar Social Security popularity trajectory) — not a hand-picked list.
FAQ
What does the name Peter mean?
Rock or stone. (Source: Wiktionary, https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Peter)
How do you pronounce Peter?
Peter is pronounced PEE-tur (IPA: /ˈpiːtər/).
Is Peter a popular name right now?
Peter peaked at #31 in 1880 and is ranked #192 as of 2024. (U.S. Social Security Administration data, 1880–2024.)
📊 How popular is Peter? See the full popularity history, trend data, and ranking since 1880 with our free Baby Name Popularity Checker.
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