Peter
From Middle English Peter, from Old English Petrus, from Latin Petrus, from Ancient Greek Πέτρος (Pétros), from πέτρος (pétros, “stone, rock”).
Every Peter since 1880 — 591,531 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of Peter
Peter is moderately common for boys in the United States, ranked #187 in 2025 with 1,954 babies given the name. It is currently holding steady compared with a decade ago.
Since 1880, 591,531 American babies have been named Peter. Its peak came in 1957, when 11,628 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 Peter stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
Peter 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 | — | — | 1,954 | #187 |
| 2024 | — | — | 1,899 | #192 |
| 2023 | — | — | 1,750 | #210 |
| 2022 | 6 | #14,891 | 1,773 | #213 |
| 2021 | — | — | 1,785 | #215 |
| 2020 | — | — | 1,762 | #215 |
| 2019 | — | — | 1,821 | #212 |
| 2018 | — | — | 1,826 | #211 |
| 2017 | — | — | 1,793 | #214 |
| 2016 | — | — | 1,927 | #207 |
| 2015 | — | — | 1,939 | #205 |
| 2014 | — | — | 1,923 | #204 |
| 2013 | — | — | 1,854 | #206 |
| 2012 | — | — | 1,869 | #204 |
| 2011 | — | — | 1,838 | #197 |
| 2010 | — | — | 1,935 | #193 |
| 2009 | — | — | 2,009 | #190 |
| 2008 | — | — | 2,186 | #181 |
| 2007 | — | — | 2,340 | #177 |
| 2006 | 5 | #19,333 | 2,481 | #167 |
| 2005 | 6 | #15,957 | 2,555 | #161 |
| 2004 | 7 | #13,835 | 2,790 | #143 |
| 2003 | — | — | 2,804 | #146 |
| 2002 | — | — | 2,873 | #134 |
| 2001 | — | — | 2,950 | #133 |
| 2000 | 6 | #14,550 | 3,148 | #125 |
| 1995 | 15 | #6,177 | 4,112 | #89 |
| 1990 | 21 | #4,645 | 5,224 | #74 |
| 1985 | 30 | #3,062 | 5,671 | #60 |
| 1980 | 47 | #2,175 | 5,967 | #55 |
| 1975 | 22 | #3,228 | 5,698 | #54 |
| 1970 | 40 | #2,071 | 8,056 | #44 |
| 1965 | 20 | #2,803 | 9,395 | #39 |
| 1960 | 31 | #2,079 | 10,715 | #42 |
| 1955 | 19 | #2,616 | 11,003 | #35 |
| 1950 | 6 | #5,149 | 8,362 | #37 |
| 1945 | 22 | #1,817 | 6,483 | #38 |
| 1940 | 20 | #1,832 | 5,049 | #43 |
| 1935 | 11 | #2,698 | 3,422 | #59 |
| 1930 | 16 | #2,192 | 3,266 | #56 |
| 1925 | 13 | #2,743 | 3,373 | #60 |
| 1920 | 17 | #2,244 | 3,497 | #57 |
| 1915 | 20 | #1,730 | 3,302 | #49 |
| 1910 | — | — | 631 | #56 |
| 1905 | — | — | 409 | #62 |
| 1900 | — | — | 443 | #58 |
| 1895 | — | — | 412 | #53 |
| 1890 | — | — | 410 | #45 |
| 1885 | — | — | 516 | #33 |
| 1880 | — | — | 496 | #31 |
Famous people named Peter
- Peter Paul Rubens Painter · 1577–1640
- Peter Abelard Philosopher · 1079–1142
- Peter III of Russia Politician · 1728–1762
- Peter Handke Writer · b. 1942
- Peter Kropotkin Biologist · 1842–1921
Ranked by global fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Peter mean?
From Middle English Peter, from Old English Petrus, from Latin Petrus, from Ancient Greek Πέτρος (Pétros), from πέτρος (pétros, “stone, rock”).
How popular is the name Peter in 2025?
Peter ranked #187 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 1,954 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
How many people are named Peter?
591,531 babies have been named Peter in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name Peter most popular?
Peter peaked in 1957, when 11,628 newborns received the name.
Is Peter a boy or girl name?
Peter is overwhelmingly a boy's name — 100% of babies with the name.
Is the name Peter rising or falling?
Peter has been roughly stable over the past decade.
Who are famous people named Peter?
Well-known people named Peter include Peter Paul Rubens (painter), Peter Abelard (philosopher), Peter III of Russia (politician).