Peter

The name Peter means 'the rock' and 'the stone'. It traces back to Petrus, which in turn originally comes from Petros (Πέτρος).

What does the name Peter mean?

The name Peter means 'the rock' and 'the stone'. It traces back to Petrus, which in turn originally comes from Petros (Πέτρος). The origins of Peter lie in the ancient Greek term pétrā ‎(πέτρᾱ) or pétros (πέτρος) for 'the rock block', 'the rock', and 'the stone', but the name was originally derived from the Aramaic Kephás. The expression kefas or kephas stands for 'the precious stone', 'the rock chunk', but also for 'solid', 'strong', or 'determined'. Since Peter has evolved from the Latin name Petrus, it can therefore be classified as a biblical name. The Apostle Peter was the first Bishop of Rome after the death of Jesus Christ, thus the predecessor of all Popes. The St. Peter's Basilica was built over his grave. Since the Middle Ages, Peter has been one of the most common boys' names in Germany. Particularly in the mid-20th century, Peter became one of the most popular German first names. However, the name's popularity declined again at the end of the 20th century. Since then, boys are rarely baptized as Peter. The name is also very well-known and widespread internationally, especially in the English-speaking world, where it is often shortened to Pete. Other known forms of the name include Pedro in Spain and Portugal, Pierre in France, Piero/Pietro in Italy, Piotr in Poland, and Per/Peer in Scandinavia (and Northern Germany).

Where does the name Peter come from?

Etymology The name Peter developed from the Latin and biblical name Petrus, which in turn goes back to the ancient Greek 'petros' for 'rock block, stone'. Ancient Greek

How do you pronounce Peter?

Sound & pronunciation of Peter: The name Peter is two syllables and well-structured. In German pronunciation, it is usually spoken as 'Pe-ter' [ˈpeːtɐ], with the long first syllable carrying the emphasis and bringing brightness to the sound. The soft ending on '-ter' provides harmony. Peter appears practical and friendly - down-to-earth, clear, and timeless.

When is the name day of Peter?

Peter's name day is on June 29 (Apostle Peter) and December 9 (Pierre Fourier).

Popularity

In Germany, the male first name Peter predominantly ranked between the top 30 and top 60 in the late 19th century. It was thus a regularly given, solid classic, but without belonging to the absolute top group. From the 1920s onwards, a continuous rise began. In the 1930s and 1940s, the name Peter established itself permanently in the top 10. Particularly remarkable were several top positions (1st place), including 1942, 1943, 1950, 1958, 1960, and 1964.

Nicknames & pet names

Beda / Bedda / Beder / Demeter / Miesepeter / Parker / Pate / Pater / Pe / Peda / Pedda / Peddah / Pede / Peet / PeeWee / Pep / Pepa / Pepe / Peppijack / Perterlin / Pesche / Pet / Peta / Petachen / Petar / Petbert / Pete / Peterchen / Peterfisch / Peterle / Peterly / Peterlä / Petersilie / Peti / Petiod / Petition / Petri / Petriette / Petrijünger / Petrulo / Petrus / Petruschka / Petry / Petschi / Petterson / Petti / Pezi / Pidda / Piet / Piotr / Pipo / Pit / Pita / Pitbull / Pitcher / Pitrie / Pitsch / Pitter / Pitti / Pjay / Pocke / Retep / Salpeter / Schwarzerpeter / Speed / Spider / Trompeter / Wikipeter / Ziegenpeter

Similar first names

Famous people

• Jens Peter Maintz (German cellist)
• Jens Peter Nünemann (actor)
• Johan Peter Noack (Danish historian)
• Jürgen Peter Vogel (German actor)
• Klaus Peter Samson (singer from Germany)
• Pete Wentz (bassist of the band Fall Out Boy)
• Peter (fairy tale character) (from the symphonic fairy tale 'Peter and the Wolf' by Sergei Prokofiev)
• Peter (Pete) Doherty (British musician)
• Peter Acs (Hungarian chess player)
• Peter Alexander (singer, actor)
• Peter Bares (German organist and composer for church music)
• Peter Beil (Tom Karrasch), 1937-2007, German schlager singer and trumpeter)
• Peter Benz (politician, Germanist, and writer)
• Peter Blume (American artist)
• Peter Bolhuis (Dutch actor)
• Peter Bond (actor and former Wheel of Fortune host)
• Peter Boyle (actor)
• Peter Bozsik (Hungarian football coach)
• Peter Buxton (British rugby player)
• Peter Cambor (actor)