Baby Names US
boys' name ★ peaked 1959

Pete

Meaning A diminutive of the male given name Peter Gender Boy Rank 2025 #2,382 Trend → Stable

A diminutive of the male given name Peter.

Rank 2025
#2,382
among boys · ↑702 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
58
named Pete · +45% vs 2024
How common
1 in 29,450
boys born in 2025
Peak year
1959
767 babies
All-time total
43,700
#548 all-time among boys
First recorded
1880
in Social Security records

Pete popularity over time

43,700 babies have been named Pete since 1880, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.250.50.75118801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
BoysGirls

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Girls Boys Total Per year Change Best rank
1880s – 590 590 59 – #175
1890s – 651 651 65 +10% #186
1900s – 949 949 95 +46% #173
1910s 16 4,352 4,368 437 +360% #181
1920s 47 6,285 6,332 633 +45% #203
1930s 26 5,529 5,555 556 -12% #204
1940s 19 6,130 6,149 615 +11% #214
1950s 10 5,926 5,936 594 -3% #279
1960s 21 5,153 5,174 517 -13% #287
1970s 31 2,854 2,885 289 -44% #424
1980s – 1,964 1,964 196 -32% #555
1990s – 1,339 1,339 134 -32% #782
2000s – 893 893 89 -33% #1,308
2010s – 599 599 60 -33% #2,038
2020s (to 2025) – 316 316 53 -12% #2,367

Where Pete is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 boys (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year Projected babies Per 1,000 boys Implied rank
2026 58 0.03 outside top 500
2027 58 0.03 outside top 500
2028 58 0.03 outside top 500
2029 58 0.03 outside top 500
2030 58 0.03 outside top 500

The story of Pete

Pete is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #2,382 in 2025 with 58 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.

Since 1880, 43,700 American babies have been named Pete. Its peak came in 1959, when 767 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1950s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Pete stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Pete?

The median living Pete is about 62 years old; half are between 46 and 73. An estimated 20 thousand people named Pete are alive in the United States today.

median 62 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Pete year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Girls Girls rank Boys Boys rank
2025 – – 58 #2,382
2024 – – 40 #3,084
2023 – – 54 #2,503
2022 – – 55 #2,508
2021 – – 58 #2,367
2020 – – 51 #2,536
2019 – – 44 #2,840
2018 – – 60 #2,277
2017 – – 56 #2,334
2016 – – 49 #2,581
2015 – – 62 #2,202
2014 – – 70 #2,038
2013 – – 63 #2,133
2012 – – 64 #2,123
2011 – – 66 #2,048
2010 – – 65 #2,088
2009 – – 82 #1,819
2008 – – 88 #1,733
2007 – – 89 #1,709
2006 – – 88 #1,636
2005 – – 80 #1,689
2004 – – 86 #1,551
2003 – – 94 #1,417
2002 – – 97 #1,370
2001 – – 90 #1,397
2000 – – 99 #1,308
1995 – – 118 #1,025
1990 – – 169 #782
1985 – – 182 #650
1980 – – 220 #579
1975 – – 258 #498
1970 – – 374 #424
1965 – – 449 #362
1960 – – 756 #287
1955 5 #6,492 551 #310
1950 – – 560 #280
1945 – – 578 #234
1940 8 #3,441 513 #237
1935 – – 588 #204
1930 – – 578 #223
1925 5 #5,607 646 #214
1920 – – 636 #205
1915 – – 531 #203
1910 – – 156 #181
1905 – – 86 #203
1900 – – 116 #184
1895 – – 66 #212
1890 – – 60 #214
1885 – – 56 #216
1880 – – 50 #235

Famous people named Pete

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Pete Davidson Pete Davidson American comedian and actor (born 1993) Contemporary
  2. 2 Pete Buttigieg Pete Buttigieg American politician (born 1982) Contemporary
  3. 3 Pete Townshend Pete Townshend English musician and songwriter (born 1945) Contemporary
  4. 4 Pete Seeger Pete Seeger American musician and social activist (1919–2014) Contemporary
  5. 5 Pete Sampras Pete Sampras American former tennis player (born 1971) Contemporary
  6. 6 Pete Postlethwaite Pete Postlethwaite English actor (1946–2011) Contemporary
  7. 7 Pete Wentz Pete Wentz American musician and songwriter (born 1979) Contemporary
  8. 8 Pete Rose Pete Rose American baseball player (1941–2024) Contemporary
  9. 9 Pete Burns Pete Burns English singer (1959–2016) Contemporary
  10. 10 Pete Best Pete Best British musician (born 1941) Contemporary
  11. 11 Pete Maravich Pete Maravich American basketball player (1947–1988) Contemporary
  12. 12 Pete Doherty Pete Doherty English musician (born 1979) Contemporary
  13. 13 Pete Docter Pete Docter American filmmaker (born 1968) Contemporary
  14. 14 Pete Hoekstra Pete Hoekstra American politician and diplomat (born 1953) Contemporary
  15. 15 Pete Ricketts Pete Ricketts American politician (born 1964) Contemporary
  16. 16 Pete Wilson Pete Wilson American politician (born 1933) Contemporary
  17. 17 Pete Conrad Pete Conrad American astronaut and lunar explorer (1930–1999) Contemporary
  18. 18 Pete Shelley Pete Shelley English singer-songwriter (1955–2018) Contemporary
  19. 19 Pete Rock Pete Rock American record producer (born 1970) Contemporary
  20. 20 Pete Willis English guitarist (born 1960) Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Pete, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Pete?

The median living Pete is about 62 years old. Half of all living Petes are between 46 and 73 years old.

How many people named Pete are alive today?

An estimated 20 thousand people named Pete are alive in the United States, based on 43,700 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Pete mean?

A diminutive of the male given name Peter.

How popular is the name Pete in 2025?

Pete ranked #2,382 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 58 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Pete?

43,700 babies have been named Pete in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Pete most popular?

Pete peaked in 1959, when 767 newborns received the name.

Is Pete a boy or girl name?

Pete is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Pete rising or falling?

Pete is declining, less popular now than a decade ago.

Will Pete become more popular?

Pete looks stable. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 58 boys named Pete in 2030, ranking outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Pete?

Well-known people named Pete include Pete Davidson (actor), Pete Buttigieg (politician), Pete Townshend (musician).

Names like Pete

Names that sound and feel close to Pete: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Pete with similar names → More names starting with P →