Peter is a name of German origin that means "rock" or "stone". It is derived from the Greek word "petros", which has the same meaning. The name Peter has been used throughout history and has been associated with several notable figures.
The most famous bearer of the name Peter was Saint Peter, one of the twelve apostles of Jesus Christ in the New Testament. According to the Bible, Peter was a fisherman by trade before he became a follower of Jesus. He is often considered the first pope of the Catholic Church and is revered as a saint by many Christians.
Other notable figures with the name Peter include the German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, who is famous for his work on existentialism and nihilism, and the English poet P.B. Shelley, who was known for his romantic poetry and advocacy of political reform.
The name Peter has also been popular in literature and art throughout history. In the Brothers Grimm fairy tale "Rapunzel", the witch's daughter is named Petronella, a variant of Peter. The name Peter is also used as the main character in the novel "Peter Pan" by J.M. Barrie, which tells the story of a boy who refuses to grow up and lives on the magical island of Neverland.
Overall, the name Peter has a rich history and has been associated with many notable figures throughout the centuries. Its meaning, "rock" or "stone", has made it a popular choice for parents looking for a strong and solid-sounding name for their sons.
The given statistics illustrate the annual number of births with the name Peter in the United States from 1880 to 2023.
From 1880 to around 1940, the number of births with the name Peter fluctuated between a few hundred and just over a thousand each year. However, starting in 1942, there was a significant increase in the number of babies named Peter, with nearly 7,000 births recorded that year. This trend continued throughout the 1940s and 1950s, reaching a peak of over 11,000 births in 1955.
From the late 1950s onwards, the popularity of the name Peter began to decline steadily. By the early 1960s, the number of annual births with this name had fallen below 10,000, and it continued to decrease throughout the rest of the century. In the 1970s and 1980s, around 5,000-6,000 babies were named Peter each year.
In recent decades, the name Peter has become increasingly less popular in the United States. Between 2000 and 2023, fewer than 2,000 births with this name were recorded each year. In fact, the most recent data from 2022 shows that only 1,738 babies named Peter were born in the United States.
Overall, while the name Peter was quite popular in the mid-20th century, it has since become much less common in the United States. Despite this decline in popularity, thousands of babies are still named Peter each year, making it a enduring and timeless choice for parents.