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Petra as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Petra

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The baby name Petra is a Female name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced /ˈpɛtrə/ (PET-rah).

Petra is Greek in Origin.

Gender: Female
Syllables: 2.0
Origin: Greek
Pronunciation: /ˈpɛtrə/ (PET-rah)

What is the meaning of the name Petra ?

The baby name Petra is a Female name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced /ˈpɛtrə/ (PET-rah).

Petra is Greek in Origin.

Petra is the pan-European feminine form of Peter, ultimately from Greek Petros “stone, rock,” with the directly feminine Greek Petra (Πέτρα) carrying the same meaning. Through Latin and the Christian tradition around Saint Peter, it spread across Europe, taking firm root in German-, Slavic-, and Romance-speaking regions. The storied Nabataean city of Petra in Jordan shares the name’s Greek root, adding a rugged, monumental feel.

Common across Czech and Slovak, German, Dutch, the Balkans, Spanish, Hungarian, and Scandinavian languages, Petra saw strong mid‑20th‑century usage in Central and Eastern Europe and continues as a steady classic. Variants and related forms include Peta (English/Australasian), Pietra (Italian), Petroula (Greek diminutive), and diminutives like Peťa in Czech and Petka in some Slavic contexts. The core meaning remains “rock,” suggesting steadfastness, reliability, and foundation - qualities that have long made Petra a grounded yet international choice.

Petra has the following similar or variant Names

Famous people with the name Petra

Petra Kelly Politician · Born 1947 · Germany Petra Kelly was best known as a leading German Green politician and ecofeminist activist. She played a major role in founding and shaping Germany’s Green movement. Petra Polnišová Actor · Born 1976 · Slovakia Petra Polnišová is a Slovak actress best known for her comedic roles in television and theater. She gained popularity through her performances in the Slovak TV show 'Partička' and the film 'Lóve'.

Petra – Popularity by country

Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.

Country Gender Year Rank Born of
Ireland Girls 2023 #1 — 897
CZ Girls 0 #2 19,481 5,378
IR Girls 0 #2 18,364 8,334
Germany Girls 0 #4 24,265 4,949
CZ 0 #5 1,724 3,154
IR 0 #5 1,562 4,221
NL Girls 0 #6 12,471 5,933
HR Girls 0 #7 3,839 3,687
SI Girls 0 #8 525 2,769
SI 0 #8 154 1,612
Austria Girls 0 #11 5,189 1,885
HR 0 #12 610 2,081
Austria 0 #21 466 850
NL 0 #23 818 2,481
HU Girls 0 #27 994 3,308
Germany 0 #29 1,347 2,542
HU 0 #30 132 1,675
NA 0 #30 4 2,537
MV Girls 0 #35 1 2,021
ID 0 #38 2 2,238
MT 0 #42 2 1,767
Austria Girls 1994 #51 160 59
NL Girls 2014 #53 9 73
CM 0 #56 1 2,592
CY 0 #60 1 1,632
LU 0 #60 7 2,830
AO 0 #73 5 2,729
BG 0 #80 3 1,799
Norway Girls 2025 #83 47 453
RS 0 #84 1 923
Finland Girls 0 #85 1,418 1,368
CN 0 #86 1 3,857
RS Girls 0 #86 54 1,651
MD Girls 0 #92 1 865
JM 0 #93 1 3,714
ID Girls 0 #102 1 3,319
Finland 0 #103 411 830
TW 0 #103 1 4,523
QA 0 #104 3 7,011
Finland Girls 2026 #106 5,742 3,895
CY Girls 0 #110 12 3,755
MT Girls 0 #120 32 3,773
NA Girls 0 #120 111 7,146
OM 0 #120 2 6,215
KW 0 #121 1 5,216
GR 0 #122 13 3,911
Switzerland Girls 2024 #129 7 1,786
ID Boys 0 #133 3 4,130
MU 0 #133 5 3,613
JO 0 #137 4 2,158
PA 0 #137 2 3,797
EE Girls 0 #138 5 1,888
BN Boys 0 #139 1 6,332
PR Girls 0 #142 20 3,171
BW Girls 0 #148 4 4,216
RS Boys 0 #153 2 2,277
LU Girls 0 #154 32 4,850
CR 0 #160 6 5,526
AO Girls 0 #167 43 4,575
Sweden Girls 2022 #173 7 1,568
HU Boys 0 #173 2 3,954
PR Boys 0 #178 1 2,508
AE 0 #179 9 10,220
MT Boys 0 #179 1 4,064
DK 0 #192 12 5,198
BG Girls 0 #196 28 3,559
GR Girls 0 #199 44 6,293
PL 0 #211 2 2,600
BG Boys 0 #219 2 3,850
PT 0 #219 28 4,161
PS 0 #224 3 5,692
AL Girls 0 #227 1 4,141
HR Boys 0 #242 17 3,997
DK Girls 0 #246 72 7,429
GH 0 #247 2 5,396
JM Girls 0 #247 13 7,507
AO Boys 0 #249 1 5,568
JP Girls 0 #249 3 6,592
NA Boys 0 #251 3 6,830
Canada Girls 2024 #254 32 2,795
MO Girls 0 #260 4 7,056
PT Girls 0 #264 216 7,952
NG 0 #266 7 5,926
CZ Boys 0 #267 38 6,530
GR Boys 0 #273 1 6,912
SG 0 #278 5 11,010
IL 0 #280 3 6,291
TW Girls 0 #282 8 8,139
JM Boys 0 #293 1 6,876
MX Girls 0 #297 2,845 17,781
Spain Girls 0 #298 1,428 5,561
JO Girls 0 #305 21 7,570
QA Girls 0 #305 12 15,378
GH Girls 0 #308 17 6,973
SA 0 #310 3 10,560
MY 0 #320 11 12,352
MU Girls 0 #327 25 8,539
PA Girls 0 #328 158 9,861
PE 0 #329 1 6,350
KZ Girls 0 #330 3 5,862
GT 0 #336 3 5,948
HK 0 #339 10 8,483
PL Boys 0 #340 1 6,459
CN Girls 0 #356 4 8,829
PL Girls 0 #356 9 5,096
BR 0 #357 4 5,969
JO Boys 0 #363 15 7,057
MU Boys 0 #369 1 8,477
ZA 0 #370 78 14,421
PT Boys 0 #381 1 7,951
OM Girls 0 #386 11 15,987
France Girls 2021 #396 10 3,185
IT Girls 0 #397 2,755 9,415
Spain 0 #401 52 2,326
MX 0 #401 13 8,339
BD Girls 0 #406 1 8,413
EG 0 #406 7 6,387
BO 0 #408 1 6,868
PH Girls 0 #422 8 13,098
CL 0 #433 2 6,867
IT 0 #465 268 4,183
SD Boys 0 #466 1 10,523
CM Girls 0 #473 68 11,671
RU Girls 0 #478 21 11,913
GT Girls 0 #493 13 7,500
CR Girls 0 #499 34 11,342
PA Boys 0 #501 5 9,305
AE Girls 0 #502 52 20,968
IR Boys 0 #505 48 10,162
KW Girls 0 #505 11 19,177
CO 0 #510 1 7,768
CR Boys 0 #510 1 10,188
PS Girls 0 #511 13 10,981
RU Boys 0 #522 5 12,621
IQ Girls 0 #524 2 11,303
LB 0 #526 133 13,263
UY Girls 0 #530 7 6,731
HK Boys 0 #553 5 12,905
PS Boys 0 #560 2 10,655
SG Girls 0 #566 21 18,916
CM Boys 0 #574 2 12,054
BO Girls 0 #577 35 9,488
AR Girls 0 #578 22 8,289
ZA Girls 0 #578 749 25,928
BH 0 #584 4 17,937
HK Girls 0 #585 31 16,104
IL Girls 0 #598 20 11,648
BO Boys 0 #622 1 9,244
IL Boys 0 #625 1 10,983
NG Girls 0 #687 100 15,093
IQ Boys 0 #697 1 13,071
CL Boys 0 #699 2 13,390
SY 0 #699 30 11,684
CO Girls 0 #718 404 16,140
SG Boys 0 #739 1 17,960
QA Boys 0 #742 2 18,093
United States Girls 2024 #770 147 8,487
BR Boys 0 #783 3 12,213
CL Girls 0 #804 48 14,098
KW Boys 0 #805 2 18,755
TN 0 #816 14 13,765
EG Girls 0 #853 107 14,742
EG Boys 0 #877 10 15,035
Germany Boys 0 #900 53 5,697
CO Boys 0 #903 18 15,656
Spain Boys 0 #905 26 5,610
SA Girls 0 #907 29 25,931
BR Girls 0 #913 29 12,708
NL Boys 0 #913 39 5,873
MX Boys 0 #915 68 16,355
PE Girls 0 #916 28 14,861
OM Boys 0 #917 2 17,948
PE Boys 0 #923 4 14,506
MY Girls 0 #970 25 24,821
NG Boys 0 #997 5 16,906
IN Boys 0 #1,039 1 16,750
MY Boys 0 #1,070 42 25,439
AE Boys 0 #1,140 4 22,615
ZA Boys 0 #1,159 20 25,619
TR 0 #1,175 37 19,440
MA 0 #1,193 7 20,986
DZ 0 #1,231 4 20,130
IT Boys 0 #1,434 38 10,046
SA Boys 0 #1,605 10 28,008

Petra is popular in 83 countries — most recent births per country:

Norway
NL
France
Canada
Switzerland

Did we miss something about this name? Let us know!

People also ask about Petra

Petra is predominantly a girl's name.
Petra is a 2 syllable name, pronounced /ˈpɛtrə/ (PET-rah).
Common nicknames and spelling variations include Peta, Petrina, Petruška, Petya and Peti.
Across languages, Petra has these equivalents: Peter (English), Petr (Czech), Pierre (French), Pedro (Spanish), Pietro (Italian), and 4 more.
Yes, very popular — Petra ranked #1 in Ireland in 2023, and appears in official birth registries across 11 countries.
Petra ranks highest in Ireland (#1 in 2023).
Petra's popularity is rising significantly. It moved from #108 in 2015 to #83 in 2025 in Norway.
Yes — 2 notable people named Petra are in our database, including Petra Kelly (Politician), Petra Polnišová (Actor).