Peter is a boy name with a classic feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Peter means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Peter across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Peter has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Peter is a boy name of Greek origin meaning “rock, stone”. the apostle to whom Christ said 'you are the rock'.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 591,531 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 13,093 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 7,876 births |
| Northern Ireland since 1997 | 1,509 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 15,954 births |
| New Zealand top 100, since 1954 | 23,996 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Peter per year, United States (1880 to 2025). United States peaked in 1957 (11,628/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 1996 (1,128/yr) · Ireland peaked in 1966 (601/yr) · Scotland peaked in 1979 (395/yr) · Northern Ireland peaked in 1998 (138/yr).
Peter has been one of the most popular baby names in the United States. It was most common in 1957, when it ranked #70 nationally (given to 11,628 babies that year), and a popular choice in the 1950s.
Petra · Pietro · Pieter · Petrea · Peder · Petter · Petria · Petro
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