Peter
Pronounced P IY1 T ER0 (ARPABET)
- 2 syllables
- Peaked 1957
- 145 years in use
- Biblical
- 1 spelling
How popular is Peter?
Peter is a boys' name, and has been in the record since the data starts in 1880. It has been given to 590,893 children — the 61st most common boys' name on record.
Its use has been broadly flat across the past two decades. Its best single year was 1957, when 11,618 children were given it.
Pieter is counted with it here, since the two are pronounced identically.
Spelling variants
These spellings sound identical to Peter and are counted together with it, which is why the totals here are higher than a single-spelling count.
- Pieter
Nicknames
Common short forms: Pete.
Characteristics
- Biblical (Person)
- 2 syllables
Phonetic detail
- Pronunciations:
- P IY1 T ER0
- Stress pattern:
- 10
- Syllables:
- 2
Stress digits mark unstressed (0), primary (1) and secondary (2) syllables.
Names like Peter
Same first letter and syllable count, peaking around the same time.
Sibling names for Peter
Names from the same era with a matching rhythm but a different initial.
Frequently asked questions
- How popular is the name Peter?
- Peter ranks 61st among boys' names in US records, with 590,893 births since 1880. Over the past decade it accounts for 18,305.
- Is Peter a unisex name?
- No. Peter is recorded almost entirely as a boys' name; births to the other gender are too few to register as a share.
- When was Peter most popular?
- 1957, when 11,618 children were given the name. It has been in use for 145 years and is still recorded as of 2024.
- What are common nicknames for Peter?
- Pete. These are recorded as separate names in their own right, so each has its own page and its own popularity curve.
- How else is Peter spelled?
- Pieter. All of these sound the same and are counted together in the totals on this page.