Peter

Last seen for girls in 2022 at #13,592 · #187 for boys in 2025, 1,954 births
Given to boys 99.7% of the time

Showing
Show data for
Peak · boys
1880 · 496 births
Debut · boys
496 births
In top 100 · boys
117 yrs
of 146 years
Total births · boys
589,588
since 1880

Peter over time

boys

Rank among boys' names. Click any year to open it.

#1#10#100rank188019001920194019601980200020201939peak #31, 1880boys
Hover or use arrow keys to read values by year; click or press Enter to open that year.

Gaps mean fewer than 5 babies received the name that year, so the SSA doesn't publish it.

Show data table
Yeargirlsboys
rankbirthsrankbirths
2025—#1871,954
2024—#1921,899
2023—#2101,750
2022#13,5926#2131,773
2021—#2151,785
2020—#2151,762
2019—#2121,821
2018—#2111,826
2017—#2131,793
2016—#2071,927
2015—#2051,939
2014—#2041,923
2013—#2061,854
2012—#2041,869
2011—#1971,838
2010—#1931,935
2009—#1902,009
2008—#1812,186
2007—#1772,340
2006#17,1685#1672,481
2005#14,5026#1612,555
2004#12,7617#1432,790
2003—#1462,804
2002—#1342,873
2001—#1332,950
2000#13,1546#1253,148
1999—#1053,439
1998—#1113,388
1997#8,33410#1023,829
1996#10,5677#954,082
1995#5,95815#894,112
1994#5,71316#874,225
1993#8,7199#824,538
1992#5,26718#814,598
1991#7,43011#774,959
1990#4,52321#745,224
1989#4,35821#665,411
1988#3,30629#645,425
1987#2,91533#645,553
1986#2,30044#605,797
1985#3,00830#605,671
1984#2,26643#605,633
1983#2,47537#595,482
1982#2,36941#575,777
1981#2,72333#555,997
1980#2,15447#555,967
1979#2,43038#536,079
1978#2,43136#545,872
1977#2,55733#555,821
1976#2,38734#545,445
1975#3,15522#545,698
1974#2,43331#505,940
1973#2,68926#525,913
1972#2,39830#486,471
1971#2,10739#477,025
1970#2,04340#448,056
1969#2,10236#437,832
1968#2,20530#398,122
1967#2,49224#398,311
1966#2,02233#398,584
1965#2,74420#399,395
1964#3,24416#399,911
1963#2,54323#409,614
1962#3,16116#439,585
1961#1,83839#4210,349
1960#2,06131#4210,715
1959#2,19127#4011,289
1958#2,58120#4110,757
1957#2,21825#3711,603
1956#2,62219#3711,334
1955#2,55319#3511,003
1954#2,59218#3710,085
1953#2,17323#389,729
1952#3,04013#369,586
1951#2,81014#388,999
1950#4,7386#378,362
1949#2,51416#388,266
1948#2,12621#378,048
1947#2,27919#368,590
1946#2,48215#387,483
1945#1,79522#386,483
1944#1,80822#406,340
1943#2,15117#396,877
1942#2,04618#396,587
1941#2,39713#445,607
1940#1,79220#435,049
1939#2,59211#464,639
1938#2,02116#484,293
1937#2,19614#523,809
1936#2,26313#563,714
1935#2,57511#593,422
1934#1,55623#613,290
1933#1,97016#603,137
1932#1,63422#623,130
1931#2,02416#613,122
1930#2,11016#563,266
1929#1,55525#553,216
1928#1,46929#563,299
1927#1,61926#593,301
1926#1,99719#583,358
1925#2,61713#603,373
1924#2,21217#593,520
1923#2,09118#583,409
1922#1,73024#573,545
1921#2,28216#573,548
1920#2,17217#573,497
1919#2,15616#573,375
1918#2,82211#533,711
1917#2,42813#503,464
1916#2,36813#503,370
1915#1,67220#483,302
1914#2,00912#482,624
1913#2,1649#511,934
1912#2,9795#481,679
1911#2,4635#50845
1910—#56631
1909—#56539
1908—#53541
1907—#61473
1906#1,7276#59427
1905—#62409
1904—#62395
1903—#58372
1902—#51433
1901—#56343
1900—#58443
1899#1,3946#53354
1898—#54409
1897—#51397
1896—#52402
1895—#53412
1894—#55391
1893—#53392
1892—#45465
1891—#45396
1890—#43410
1889—#45425
1888—#41498
1887#1,0366#43421
1886—#42437
1885—#33516
1884—#34524
1883—#36450
1882—#36461
1881—#37428
1880—#31496
First appearance
1880

In the first year the SSA published name data, Peter was already there! It came in at #31, and was given to 496 baby boys.


Quietest stretch: 1886–1907, when fewer than 500 boys a year got the name.

Where Peter is popular in 1939

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: #8 for boys · 11 births · 1 in 30 boysAKMaine: #16 for boys · 83 births · 1 in 75 boysMEVermont: #25 for boys · 24 births · 1 in 104 boysVTNew Hampshire: #16 for boys · 56 births · 1 in 59 boysNHWashington: #64 for boys · 39 births · 1 in 299 boysWAIdaho: fewer than 5 boys named Peter, so not publishedIDMontana: #87 for boys · 11 births · 1 in 410 boysMTNorth Dakota: #71 for boys · 20 births · 1 in 276 boysNDMinnesota: #34 for boys · 139 births · 1 in 162 boysMNIllinois: #38 for boys · 269 births · 1 in 206 boysILWisconsin: #30 for boys · 149 births · 1 in 166 boysWIMichigan: #40 for boys · 212 births · 1 in 206 boysMINew York: #17 for boys · 1,297 births · 1 in 68 boysNYMassachusetts: #15 for boys · 445 births · 1 in 65 boysMARhode Island: #17 for boys · 67 births · 1 in 67 boysRIOregon: #80 for boys · 22 births · 1 in 334 boysORNevada: fewer than 5 boys named Peter, so not publishedNVWyoming: #60 for boys · 8 births · 1 in 234 boysWYSouth Dakota: #98 for boys · 12 births · 1 in 408 boysSDIowa: #97 for boys · 39 births · 1 in 519 boysIAIndiana: #100 for boys · 46 births · 1 in 576 boysINOhio: #83 for boys · 102 births · 1 in 505 boysOHPennsylvania: #42 for boys · 339 births · 1 in 218 boysPANew Jersey: #19 for boys · 314 births · 1 in 82 boysNJConnecticut: #16 for boys · 182 births · 1 in 57 boysCTCalifornia: #41 for boys · 262 births · 1 in 183 boysCAUtah: #123 for boys · 10 births · 1 in 529 boysUTColorado: #109 for boys · 19 births · 1 in 497 boysCONebraska: #137 for boys · 14 births · 1 in 719 boysNEMissouri: #131 for boys · 35 births · 1 in 798 boysMOKentucky: #296 for boys · 9 births · 1 in 3,036 boysKYWest Virginia: #186 for boys · 15 births · 1 in 1,265 boysWVVirginia: #161 for boys · 24 births · 1 in 963 boysVAMaryland: #81 for boys · 27 births · 1 in 462 boysMDDelaware: fewer than 5 boys named Peter, so not publishedDEArizona: #43 for boys · 30 births · 1 in 160 boysAZNew Mexico: #168 for boys · 7 births · 1 in 789 boysNMKansas: #199 for boys · 9 births · 1 in 1,463 boysKSArkansas: #298 for boys · 7 births · 1 in 2,588 boysARTennessee: #272 for boys · 9 births · 1 in 3,006 boysTNNorth Carolina: #242 for boys · 19 births · 1 in 1,904 boysNCSouth Carolina: #159 for boys · 20 births · 1 in 1,020 boysSCDistrict of Columbia: #27 for boys · 37 births · 1 in 155 boysDCOklahoma: fewer than 5 boys named Peter, so not publishedOKLouisiana: #103 for boys · 45 births · 1 in 482 boysLAMississippi: #142 for boys · 25 births · 1 in 844 boysMSAlabama: #245 for boys · 13 births · 1 in 2,150 boysALGeorgia: #210 for boys · 19 births · 1 in 1,608 boysGAHawaii: #53 for boys · 18 births · 1 in 193 boysHITexas: #231 for boys · 45 births · 1 in 1,308 boysTXFlorida: #112 for boys · 25 births · 1 in 574 boysFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · boys
  1. Alaska#8 · 1 in 30
  2. Massachusetts#15 · 1 in 65
  3. Connecticut#16 · 1 in 57
  4. New Hampshire#16 · 1 in 59
  5. Maine#16 · 1 in 75

Best ever in a state: #2 in Alaska, 1930.

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
Alaska#8111 in 30
Massachusetts#154451 in 65
Connecticut#161821 in 57
Maine#16831 in 75
New Hampshire#16561 in 59
New York#171,2971 in 68
Rhode Island#17671 in 67
New Jersey#193141 in 82
Vermont#25241 in 104
District of Columbia#27371 in 155
Wisconsin#301491 in 166
Minnesota#341391 in 162
Illinois#382691 in 206
Michigan#402121 in 206
California#412621 in 183
Pennsylvania#423391 in 218
Arizona#43301 in 160
Hawaii#53181 in 193
Wyoming#6081 in 234
Washington#64391 in 299
North Dakota#71201 in 276
Oregon#80221 in 334
Maryland#81271 in 462
Ohio#831021 in 505
Montana#87111 in 410
Iowa#97391 in 519
South Dakota#98121 in 408
Indiana#100461 in 576
Louisiana#103451 in 482
Colorado#109191 in 497
Florida#112251 in 574
Utah#123101 in 529
Missouri#131351 in 798
Nebraska#137141 in 719
Mississippi#142251 in 844
South Carolina#159201 in 1,020
Virginia#161241 in 963
New Mexico#16871 in 789
West Virginia#186151 in 1,265
Kansas#19991 in 1,463
Georgia#210191 in 1,608
Texas#231451 in 1,308
North Carolina#242191 in 1,904
Alabama#245131 in 2,150
Tennessee#27291 in 3,006
Kentucky#29691 in 3,036
Arkansas#29871 in 2,588
Delaware———
Idaho———
Nevada———
Oklahoma———

Ranks are within each state; “1 in N” is out of the boys born there that year. The SSA only publishes a name in a state when 5 or more babies of one sex got it.

See more about Peter
Momentum · boys
Holding steady
  • 5 spots since 2024 (#192 → #187)
  • 28 spots since 2020 (#215 → #187)
  • 18 spots since 2015 (#205 → #187)
  • Biggest jump: 18 spots in 2024 (#210 → #192)
  • Biggest drop: 20 spots in 2000 (#105 → #125)
Rise & fade · boys
Peaked on debut
  • Debuted 1880
  • Peaked 1880 at #31 (496 births)
  • Not yet halved from its peak
Top of the charts · boys
Top 100 for 117 yrs
  • Top 10: never
  • Top 100: 117 yrs · run 1880–1996
  • Top 1,000: 146 yrs · run 1880–2025
Share of babies · boys
1 in 186
  • Highest: 1 in 186 boys born in 1957 were named Peter (0.54%)
  • Latest: 1 in 874 boys born in 2025 (0.11%)
  • Its best rank, #31 in 1880, was only 1 in 223 (0.45%) — a smaller share of a much bigger birth year
Era · boys
The 1950s
  • 17.4% of all boys named Peter (102,747) were born in this decade
Show by decade
DecadeBirthsBest rankAvg rank
1880s4,656#31 (1880)#38
1890s4,028#43 (1890)#50
1900s4,375#51 (1902)#58
1910s24,935#48 (1915)#51
1920s34,066#55 (1929)#58
1930s35,822#46 (1939)#56
1940s69,330#36 (1947)#39
1950s102,747#35 (1955)#38
1960s92,418#39 (1964)#41
1970s62,320#44 (1970)#51
1980s56,713#55 (1981)#60
1990s42,394#74 (1990)#90
2000s26,136#125 (2000)#156
2010s18,725#193 (2010)#205
2020s10,923#187 (2025)#205

All figures count published births only (names given to at least 5 boys in a year). Registrations before 1937 are incomplete, so early shares and totals run low.

Peter in 1939

girls
#2,592
11 births · 1 in 99,692 girls
boys
#46
4,639 births · 1 in 239 boys

Top girls' names in 1939

  1. #1Mary54,900
  2. #2Barbara37,257
  3. #3Patricia29,701
  4. #4Betty23,639
  5. #5Shirley20,447
  6. #6Carol20,166
  7. #7Nancy19,723
  8. #8Judith16,625
  9. #9Dorothy15,169
  10. #10Margaret14,949
  11. #2,592Peter11

Top boys' names in 1939

  1. #1Robert59,666
  2. #2James59,636
  3. #3John51,025
  4. #4William42,071
  5. #5Richard35,386
  6. #6Charles30,789
  7. #7David25,360
  8. #8Donald24,056
  9. #9Thomas22,129
  10. #10Ronald19,837
  11. #46Peter4,639
More about 1939

girls

1,096,612 girls got a published name in 1939; 1 in 99,692 of them was named Peter, which outranked 47.6% of the 4,950 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 23.0% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Peter
  1. #2,417Yvonnie12
  2. #2,417Zadie12
  3. #2,417Zandra12
  4. #2,592Peter11
  5. #2,592Adair11
  6. #2,592Adelfa11
  7. #2,592Albertina11
  8. #2,736Adda10
  9. #2,736Adline10
  10. #2,736Adria10

Tied with 143 names at #2,592; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1938
Risers
  1. ↑ 880April#1,805 → #925
  2. ↑ 865Karel#1,703 → #838
  3. ↑ 725Hedy#1,650 → #925
  4. ↑ 722Vivien#1,703 → #981
  5. ↑ 709Karon#1,547 → #838
Fallers
  1. ↓ 712Eulalia#972 → #1,684
  2. ↓ 446Shelvia#955 → #1,401
  3. ↓ 358Naoma#992 → #1,350
  4. ↓ 304Imelda#890 → #1,194
  5. ↓ 279Helaine#870 → #1,149

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

boys

1,106,852 boys got a published name in 1939; 1 in 239 of them was named Peter, which outranked 98.8% of the 3,968 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 33.4% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Peter
  1. #43Jimmy4,753
  2. #44Norman4,742
  3. #45Harry4,661
  4. #46Peter4,639
  5. #47Howard4,613
  6. #48Anthony4,610
  7. #49Louis4,224
Biggest movers since 1938
Risers
  1. ↑ 463Alfonzo#1,439 → #976
  2. ↑ 447Rod#1,439 → #992
  3. ↑ 443Estel#1,397 → #954
  4. ↑ 422Cameron#1,364 → #942
  5. ↑ 421Turner#1,337 → #916
Fallers
  1. ↓ 518Gonzalo#779 → #1,297
  2. ↓ 497Judge#992 → #1,489
  3. ↓ 396Melville#963 → #1,359
  4. ↓ 355Agustin#883 → #1,238
  5. ↓ 351Antone#921 → #1,272

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

See the top 100 for 1939 →