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Peter as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Peter

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The baby name Peter is a Male name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced /ˈpiːtər/ (PEE-ter).

Peter is Greek in Origin.

Gender: Male
Syllables: 2.0
Origin: Greek
Pronunciation: /ˈpiːtər/ (PEE-ter)

What is the meaning of the name Peter ?

The baby name Peter is a Male name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced /ˈpiːtər/ (PEE-ter).

Peter is Greek in Origin.

Peter derives from Greek Petros, translating the Aramaic Kepha, “rock” or “stone.” Adopted into Latin as Petrus and carried through the New Testament, when Jesus renames Simon as Peter, it became a symbol of steadfastness and leadership, helping the name spread across Europe from late antiquity through the Middle Ages. Its enduring use owes much to Saint Peter’s prominence in Christian tradition, including papal associations and widespread feast-day veneration.

International variants include Pierre (French), Pedro (Spanish/Portuguese), Pietro/Piero (Italian), Peter (German), Pieter (Dutch), Piet (Dutch diminutive), Piotr (Polish), Pyotr (Russian; diminutive Petya), Petar (South Slavic, diminutive Pero), Petru (Romanian), Petr (Czech), Peder/Per/Pär (Scandinavian), Péter (Hungarian), Petteri (Finnish), Pēteris (Latvian), Petras (Lithuanian), Petro (Ukrainian), Petros (Greek), Peadar (Irish), Pedr (Welsh), Boutros/Butrus (Arabic), and Bedros (Armenian). English short forms are Pete and Petey; the feminine Petra and Pierrette are common counterparts. The core meaning remains “rock,” implying reliability and constancy.

Peter has the following similar or variant Names

Famous people with the name Peter

Peter Kropotkin Politician · Born 1842 · Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic Peter Kropotkin was a Russian political thinker and activist best known for his contributions to anarchist theory. His influential works include 'The Conquest of Bread' and 'Mutual Aid: A Factor of Evolution', which explore ideas of cooperation and community in human societies. Peter O'Toole Actor · Born 1932 · Ireland Peter O'Toole was an Irish actor best known for his role as T.E. Lawrence in the film Lawrence of Arabia. He also starred in movies like The Lion in Winter and Goodbye, Mr. Chips. His charismatic performances and distinctive voice made him a standout figure in cinema. Peter Jackson Actor · Born 1961 · New Zealand Peter Jackson is best known for directing the epic film series The Lord of the Rings, which captivated audiences worldwide. Born in New Zealand in 1961, he also directed the acclaimed film King Kong. His work has earned him numerous awards and a place among the top filmmakers in the industry.
Peter Sellers Actor · Born 1925 · United Kingdom Peter Sellers was a British actor best known for his role as Inspector Clouseau in the Pink Panther film series. He also starred in Dr. Strangelove, where he played multiple characters, showcasing his incredible versatility and comedic talent. Peter Dinklage Actor · Born 1969 · United States Peter Dinklage is an American actor best known for his role as Tyrion Lannister in the television series Game of Thrones. He has also appeared in films like The Station Agent and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. His performances have earned him critical acclaim and several awards. Peter Ustinov Actor · Born 1921 · United Kingdom Peter Ustinov was a British actor and writer best known for his role as Hercule Poirot in several Agatha Christie adaptations, including 'Death on the Nile' and 'Evil Under the Sun'. He also won two Academy Awards for Best Supporting Actor for his performances in 'Spartacus' and 'Topkapi'. Ustinov was a versatile talent, contributing to theater, film, and literature throughout his career.

Celebrity babies named Peter

Name Last Name(s) Mother Mother famous for Fame Level Father Father famous for Fame Level
Peter Douglas Anne Buydens film producer Kirk Douglas film director
Peter Fonda Henry Fonda television actor
Peter Craig Sally Field television actor
Peter Dürrenmatt Friedrich Dürrenmatt film director
Peter Lewis Loretta Young television actor
Peter Wallach Anne Jackson television actor Eli Wallach television actor
Peter Doblin Alfred Döblin journalist
Peter Grönvall Benny Andersson singer
Peter Zorich Olympia Dukakis television actor Louis Zorich television actor
Peter Ford Eleanor Powell television actor Glenn Ford television actor
Peter Brant ll Stephanie Seymour television actor Peter M. Brant film producer

Peter – Popularity by country

Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.

Country Gender Year Rank Born of
Ireland Boys 2025 #1 836
Germany Boys 2025 #1 423
NL 0 #2 1,806 2,481
NL Boys 0 #2 36,376 5,873
DK Boys 0 #3 4,815 7,401
DK 0 #3 822 5,198
KH 0 #3 1 102
FJ 0 #6 1 374
Germany Boys 0 #7 37,067 5,697
SI Boys 0 #7 609 3,402
Austria Boys 0 #8 8,982 2,180
KH Boys 0 #8 2 270
HT 0 #9 4 399
FJ Boys 0 #11 7 603
ZA Boys 0 #11 18,795 25,619
CN Boys 0 #12 1,287 9,639
Germany 0 #12 1,964 2,542
NA Boys 0 #12 824 6,830
Austria 0 #13 572 850
HK Boys 0 #13 5,814 12,905
NA 0 #13 21 2,537
TW Boys 0 #15 697 7,111
BW 0 #16 4 960
HU 0 #16 188 1,675
SG Boys 0 #16 3,991 17,960
NG 0 #17 531 5,926
ZA 0 #17 890 14,421
NG Boys 0 #18 20,982 16,906
BW Boys 0 #19 243 4,685
KR Boys 0 #19 9 897
SI 0 #20 87 1,612
CN 0 #22 67 3,857
HT Boys 0 #22 13 903
HU Boys 0 #23 1,102 3,954
MT 0 #24 20 1,767
TW 0 #24 81 4,523
BN 0 #25 8 2,297
GH Boys 0 #28 2,001 8,138
MO Boys 0 #28 403 5,842
MT Boys 0 #33 266 4,064
ID 0 #34 6 2,238
MO 0 #34 19 2,706
MV Girls 0 #35 1 2,021
JM 0 #36 53 3,714
SG 0 #36 344 11,010
BG 0 #40 44 1,799
CY Boys 0 #40 140 3,473
GH 0 #40 351 5,396
JM Boys 0 #40 578 6,876
BI Boys 0 #41 4 917
MY Boys 0 #41 6,955 25,439
NL Boys 2014 #42 40 79
GE 0 #44 1 997
JP 0 #48 30 4,057
CY 0 #49 11 1,632
CM 0 #51 6 2,592
HK 0 #51 541 8,483
BG Boys 0 #52 400 3,850
LU 0 #53 14 2,830
PR 0 #53 3 1,497
QA 0 #53 48 7,011
Austria Boys 2006 #54 112 60
PH 0 #54 43 5,607
AE 0 #59 126 10,220
BN Boys 0 #60 75 6,332
CZ Boys 0 #61 1,232 6,530
PH Boys 0 #61 567 11,440
MY 0 #64 348 12,352
OM 0 #65 53 6,215
IN 0 #66 6 2,963
MV Boys 0 #66 12 3,375
ID Boys 0 #71 63 4,130
New Zealand Boys 2007 #73 59 100
AO 0 #75 3 2,729
AL 0 #76 1 2,372
MD Boys 0 #79 3 756
EG Boys 0 #83 12,794 15,035
LT 0 #88 1 949
KW 0 #89 28 5,216
SD 0 #96 7 2,130
EG 0 #97 873 6,387
CZ 0 #98 116 3,154
GR Boys 0 #98 229 6,912
ID Girls 0 #102 1 3,319
GR 0 #104 31 3,911
EC 0 #105 11 2,502
EE Boys 0 #106 20 2,087
Norway Boys 2025 #107 28 444
Finland Boys 0 #107 908 2,041
GE Boys 0 #108 3 2,055
LU Boys 0 #110 116 4,970
BN Girls 0 #111 4 5,459
SD Boys 0 #115 664 10,523
CR 0 #116 43 5,526
PR Boys 0 #116 64 2,508
PA 0 #118 13 3,797
CY Girls 0 #125 1 3,755
IQ 0 #129 5 3,533
Switzerland Boys 2024 #130 8 1,769
MU 0 #130 8 3,613
IR 0 #133 107 4,221
JO 0 #137 4 2,158
LT Boys 0 #141 10 2,166
PL Boys 0 #145 336 6,459
RU Boys 0 #147 773 12,621
BW Girls 0 #148 4 4,216
RS Boys 0 #150 5 2,277
Finland Boys 2026 #152 3,270 3,552
MT Girls 0 #152 2 3,773
IR Boys 0 #153 1,264 10,162
RU 0 #155 35 3,641
AO Boys 0 #156 89 5,568
Canada Boys 2024 #163 154 2,588
CM Boys 0 #164 828 12,054
JP Boys 0 #165 144 7,909
PT Boys 0 #168 269 7,951
Sweden Boys 2022 #174 9 1,509
EC Boys 0 #174 68 3,322
SI Girls 0 #177 1 2,769
UY 0 #177 6 2,477
HR 0 #179 3 2,081
United States Boys 2024 #182 1,889 7,044
PS 0 #186 33 5,692
LU Girls 0 #187 4 4,850
AR 0 #190 4 2,915
PL 0 #192 21 2,600
LB 0 #197 826 13,263
Finland 0 #199 119 830
QA Boys 0 #203 759 18,093
HR Boys 0 #206 55 3,997
NA Girls 0 #211 14 7,146
BD 0 #213 15 5,992
SA 0 #215 81 10,560
AO Girls 0 #217 1 4,575
Spain Boys 0 #218 2,192 5,610
PT 0 #218 29 4,161
Belgium Boys 1998 #220 22 424
HU Girls 0 #221 5 3,308
IL 0 #224 51 6,291
BG Girls 0 #231 1 3,559
MO Girls 0 #239 13 7,056
KZ Boys 0 #240 50 6,578
CR Boys 0 #244 329 10,188
GR Girls 0 #245 5 6,293
NG Girls 0 #246 1,160 15,093
JM Girls 0 #247 13 7,507
IT Boys 0 #249 5,643 10,046
MU Boys 0 #249 110 8,477
GT Boys 0 #250 295 7,625
IL Boys 0 #252 512 10,983
PE 0 #253 58 6,350
Spain 0 #255 218 2,326
EC Girls 0 #258 1 3,650
CL Boys 0 #259 1,027 13,390
PE Boys 0 #259 1,750 14,506
AF Boys 0 #261 10 3,535
MX Boys 0 #265 2,060 16,355
PS Boys 0 #269 369 10,655
GH Girls 0 #274 51 6,973
GT 0 #276 39 5,948
AL Boys 0 #280 19 5,122
KW Boys 0 #280 695 18,755
UY Boys 0 #281 136 5,922
TW Girls 0 #287 3 8,139
DK Girls 0 #304 13 7,429
PA Boys 0 #307 194 9,305
JO Boys 0 #309 69 7,057
AE Boys 0 #318 1,471 22,615
CO Boys 0 #319 1,328 15,656
SD Girls 0 #326 20 7,678
AR Boys 0 #328 149 7,628
BH 0 #330 228 17,937
BR 0 #330 16 5,969
KZ Girls 0 #331 2 5,862
BO Boys 0 #333 332 9,244
BO 0 #334 48 6,868
CN Girls 0 #336 14 8,829
QA Girls 0 #337 7 15,378
JO Girls 0 #338 2 7,570
France Boys 2021 #343 45 2,865
CZ Girls 0 #344 8 5,378
CL 0 #346 67 6,867
MX 0 #356 58 8,339
MU Girls 0 #360 3 8,539
YE 0 #360 22 8,639
IT 0 #378 442 4,183
LY 0 #382 157 12,703
CO 0 #383 98 7,768
OM Girls 0 #386 11 15,987
Austria Girls 0 #388 33 1,885
BD Girls 0 #404 3 8,413
OM Boys 0 #416 606 17,948
PH Girls 0 #424 6 13,098
PT Girls 0 #469 3 7,952
BR Boys 0 #485 297 12,213
RU Girls 0 #486 13 11,913
KW Girls 0 #490 26 19,177
BD Boys 0 #497 80 10,045
CM Girls 0 #514 27 11,671
IQ Girls 0 #518 8 11,303
PA Girls 0 #518 1 9,861
HK Girls 0 #519 97 16,104
IQ Boys 0 #525 143 13,071
AE Girls 0 #527 27 20,968
UY Girls 0 #533 4 6,731
IR Girls 0 #539 7 8,334
GT Girls 0 #541 1 7,500
PS Girls 0 #543 5 10,981
SG Girls 0 #554 33 18,916
SY 0 #567 166 11,684
CR Girls 0 #572 2 11,342
Germany Girls 0 #604 245 4,949
SA Boys 0 #613 1,691 28,008
AR Girls 0 #627 4 8,289
IL Girls 0 #642 4 11,648
BO Girls 0 #646 6 9,488
IN Girls 0 #647 8 13,121
IN Boys 0 #684 336 16,750
TN 0 #736 94 13,765
NL Girls 0 #752 205 5,933
ZA Girls 0 #774 399 25,928
EG Girls 0 #805 155 14,742
CL Girls 0 #838 14 14,098
MY Girls 0 #891 104 24,821
MA 0 #894 236 20,986
SA Girls 0 #895 41 25,931
United States Girls 2022 #898 6 8,739
Spain Girls 0 #926 58 5,561
PE Girls 0 #931 13 14,861
TR 0 #949 268 19,440
BR Girls 0 #987 6 12,708
DZ 0 #999 178 20,130
CO Girls 0 #1,062 17 16,140
MX Girls 0 #1,164 20 17,781
IT Girls 0 #1,348 99 9,415

Peter is popular in 96 countries — most recent births per country:

France
Norway
Ireland
NL
Scotland, United Kingdom

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People also ask about Peter

Peter is predominantly a boy's name.
Peter is a 2 syllable name, pronounced /ˈpiːtər/ (PEE-ter).
Common nicknames and spelling variations include Pete, Petey, Piet, Pieter, Péter and Petra (feminine).
Yes, very popular — Peter ranked #1 in Ireland in 2025, and appears in official birth registries across 15 countries.
Peter ranks highest in Ireland (#1 in 2025).
Peter's popularity is holding steady. It moved from #1 in 2015 to #1 in 2025 in Ireland.
Yes — 26 notable people named Peter are in our database, including Peter Kropotkin (Politician), Peter O'Toole (Actor), Peter Jackson (Actor).
Yes — at least 11 celebrity couples have chosen Peter for their child, including Anne Buydens and Kirk Douglas.