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The short answer
Peter is a masculine name used in English and German. Behind the Name describes it this way: "Derived from Greek Πέτρος (Petros) meaning ‘stone’. This is a translation used in most versions of the New Testament of the name Cephas, meaning ‘stone’ in Aramaic, which was given to the apostle Simon by Jesus (compare Matthew 16:18 and John 1:42)." It ranked #187 for boys in the United States in 2025.
Meaning and etymology
According to Behind the Name, derived from Greek Πέτρος (Petros) meaning ‘stone’. This is a translation used in most versions of the New Testament of the name Cephas, meaning ‘stone’ in Aramaic, which was given to the apostle Simon by Jesus (compare Matthew 16:18 and John 1:42). The entry lists its usage as English, German, Dutch, Danish and others.
Editorial confidence: established
Popularity
Peter ranked #187 for boys in the United States in 2025. The figure comes from the Social Security Administration's national file for that year.
| Region | Year | Rank | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 2025 | #187 | ssa-2025 |
If you like this name
Names that Behind the Name files under the same origin (English) and that sit near Peter in the 2025 American rankings.
Similar by origin
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Peter mean?
Peter means "stone", according to Behind the Name.
Is Peter a popular name?
Peter ranked #187 for boys in the United States in 2025. (Social Security Administration data).
Is Peter a boy's or a girl's name?
In the 2025 SSA data Peter appears in the boys' list; Behind the Name labels it masculine.
Sources
- Behind the Name: Meaning, origin and history of the name Peter — supports meaning, usage, pronunciation, variants.
- U.S. Social Security Administration: Popular Baby Names — national data, year of birth 2025 — supports popularity.
