Meaning not yet researched.
Peter: US boys given the name each year, 1880 to 2025, from Social Security card applications. 1,954 in 2025. Its best rank was #31 in 1880.
US births per year · SSA card applications
Peaked at #31 in 1880; #187 in 2025. Every baby recorded as Peter in 2025 was a boy.
Baby name · US data 1880–2025
#187 for US boys in 2025. Its best year was 1880, at #31.
Hover, tap or use the arrow keys for any year. Years with fewer than five babies of a sex are not published by SSA and show as zero.
Peter: US boys given the name each year from 1880 to 2025. 1,954 boys in 2025. Peak: #31 in 1880 · most boys in one year: 11,603 (1957).
In 2025, 1,954 US boys were named Peter, making it the 187th most common boys’ name of the year, up 5 places from #192 in 2024. That is 55 more than the 1,899 boys named Peter in 2024. Its best rank for boys was #31, reached in 1880. The most boys given the name in a single year was 11,603, in 1957. For comparison, it was #205 in 2015 and #37 in 1950.
Social Security card records list Peter in every one of the 146 years from 1880 to 2025; in 1880 there were 496 babies with the name. In all, 591,531 US babies have been given the name, 0.3% of them girls and 99.6% boys. Its busiest decade was the 1950s, with 102,931 babies named Peter.
Over the 10 years from 2016 to 2025, 18,290 US boys were named Peter; the busiest of those years was 2025, with 1,954. In 2025 that was about 1 in 874 of the boys in SSA’s list for the year.
Among the states, Peter ranked highest in District of Columbia in 2025, at #46 for boys there. It was in the top 100 in 4 states (counting DC). Related spellings in the SSA files include Pedro (94,582 babies since 1880) and Pierre (19,143 babies since 1880). Rarer spellings such as Pietro, Pieter and Piero are summarised on this page. The open nickname list we use links it to Pate and Pete.
Meaning not yet researched.
We publish a meaning only with a cited source and a confidence label, and never generate one. Meanings are being researched for the most common names first.
Rare spellings summarised here: Pietro (2,423), Pieter (1,011), Piero (821), Peder (799), Piotr (734), Petros (715), Petar (641), Per (369), Petro (160), Petr (109), Petter (60), Peer (24), and more.
Numbers are all-time US births. Links come from Wikidata’s “said to be the same as” (P460, CC0).
Peter is listed as a nickname for Patrick.
Source: carltonnorthern/nicknames (Apache-2.0).
US boys. Rank within each state. SSA leaves out states where fewer than five boys got the name, so 4 are not listed.
| State | Births 2025 | Rank 2025 | Rank 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | 16 | #46 | #205 |
| Alaska | 10 | #82 | #110 |
| Utah | 53 | #96 | #104 |
| Vermont | 6 | #96 | — |
| Montana | 12 | #107 | — |
| Maine | 13 | #111 | #156 |
| Oregon | 34 | #116 | #236 |
| Wyoming | 5 | #116 | — |
| New Hampshire | 13 | #120 | #137 |
| Indiana | 67 | #120 | #339 |
| Idaho | 21 | #123 | #261 |
| Connecticut | 31 | #125 | #99 |
| Virginia | 66 | #135 | #151 |
| Minnesota | 48 | #139 | #121 |
| South Dakota | 10 | #141 | #282 |
| Wisconsin | 45 | #141 | #199 |
| Colorado | 51 | #142 | #180 |
| Kansas | 26 | #150 | #221 |
| Illinois | 78 | #153 | #194 |
| Massachusetts | 46 | #156 | #97 |
| Maryland | 37 | #166 | #153 |
| North Dakota | 8 | #168 | #276 |
| Washington | 51 | #170 | #166 |
| Nebraska | 17 | #172 | #189 |
| Hawaii | 7 | #173 | #172 |
| New York | 111 | #174 | #149 |
| South Carolina | 32 | #176 | #435 |
| New Jersey | 57 | #180 | #180 |
| Pennsylvania | 71 | #183 | #168 |
| Michigan | 57 | #184 | #175 |
| Iowa | 23 | #186 | #227 |
| Louisiana | 28 | #188 | #290 |
| Arizona | 46 | #192 | #225 |
| Oklahoma | 26 | #196 | #272 |
| Ohio | 65 | #197 | #209 |
| Missouri | 36 | #201 | #221 |
| Georgia | 60 | #207 | #296 |
| Kentucky | 27 | #210 | #483 |
| Tennessee | 39 | #230 | #369 |
| Florida | 90 | #236 | #247 |
| Texas | 162 | #242 | #287 |
| North Carolina | 52 | #243 | #262 |
| California | 146 | #256 | #196 |
| Mississippi | 11 | #307 | #362 |
| Nevada | 10 | #319 | #289 |
| Arkansas | 9 | #389 | #420 |
| Alabama | 12 | #443 | #359 |
Births and national rank for each year SSA lists the name, newest first.
| Year | Girls | Girls rank | Boys | Boys rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | — | — | 1,954 | #187 |
| 2024 | — | — | 1,899 | #192 |
| 2023 | — | — | 1,750 | #210 |
| 2022 | 6 | #14,891 | 1,773 | #213 |
| 2021 | — | — | 1,785 | #215 |
| 2020 | — | — | 1,762 | #215 |
| 2019 | — | — | 1,821 | #212 |
| 2018 | — | — | 1,826 | #211 |
| 2017 | — | — | 1,793 | #214 |
| 2016 | — | — | 1,927 | #207 |
| 2015 | — | — | 1,939 | #205 |
| 2014 | — | — | 1,923 | #204 |
| 2013 | — | — | 1,854 | #206 |
| 2012 | — | — | 1,869 | #204 |
| 2011 | — | — | 1,838 | #197 |
| 2010 | — | — | 1,935 | #193 |
| 2009 | — | — | 2,009 | #190 |
| 2008 | — | — | 2,186 | #181 |
| 2007 | — | — | 2,340 | #177 |
| 2006 | 5 | #19,333 | 2,481 | #167 |
| 2005 | 6 | #15,957 | 2,555 | #161 |
| 2004 | 7 | #13,835 | 2,790 | #143 |
| 2003 | — | — | 2,804 | #146 |
| 2002 | — | — | 2,873 | #134 |
| 2001 | — | — | 2,950 | #133 |
| 2000 | 6 | #14,550 | 3,148 | #125 |
| 1999 | — | — | 3,439 | #105 |
| 1998 | — | — | 3,388 | #111 |
| 1997 | 10 | #8,849 | 3,829 | #102 |
| 1996 | 7 | #11,472 | 4,082 | #95 |
| 1995 | 15 | #6,177 | 4,112 | #89 |
| 1994 | 16 | #5,914 | 4,225 | #87 |
| 1993 | 9 | #9,317 | 4,538 | #82 |
| 1992 | 18 | #5,419 | 4,598 | #81 |
| 1991 | 11 | #7,817 | 4,959 | #77 |
| 1990 | 21 | #4,645 | 5,224 | #74 |
| 1989 | 21 | #4,470 | 5,411 | #66 |
| 1988 | 29 | #3,371 | 5,425 | #64 |
| 1987 | 33 | #2,956 | 5,553 | #64 |
| 1986 | 44 | #2,328 | 5,797 | #60 |
| 1985 | 30 | #3,062 | 5,671 | #60 |
| 1984 | 43 | #2,286 | 5,633 | #60 |
| 1983 | 37 | #2,501 | 5,482 | #59 |
| 1982 | 41 | #2,405 | 5,777 | #57 |
| 1981 | 33 | #2,761 | 5,997 | #55 |
| 1980 | 47 | #2,175 | 5,967 | #55 |
| 1979 | 38 | #2,459 | 6,079 | #53 |
| 1978 | 36 | #2,458 | 5,872 | #54 |
| 1977 | 33 | #2,599 | 5,821 | #55 |
| 1976 | 34 | #2,423 | 5,445 | #54 |
| 1975 | 22 | #3,228 | 5,698 | #54 |
| 1974 | 31 | #2,481 | 5,940 | #50 |
| 1973 | 26 | #2,724 | 5,913 | #52 |
| 1972 | 30 | #2,436 | 6,471 | #48 |
| 1971 | 39 | #2,133 | 7,025 | #47 |
| 1970 | 40 | #2,071 | 8,056 | #44 |
| 1969 | 36 | #2,127 | 7,832 | #43 |
| 1968 | 30 | #2,231 | 8,122 | #39 |
| 1967 | 24 | #2,540 | 8,311 | #39 |
| 1966 | 33 | #2,046 | 8,584 | #39 |
| 1965 | 20 | #2,803 | 9,395 | #39 |
| 1964 | 16 | #3,347 | 9,911 | #39 |
| 1963 | 23 | #2,595 | 9,614 | #40 |
| 1962 | 16 | #3,260 | 9,585 | #43 |
| 1961 | 39 | #1,862 | 10,349 | #42 |
| 1960 | 31 | #2,079 | 10,715 | #42 |
| 1959 | 27 | #2,224 | 11,289 | #40 |
| 1958 | 20 | #2,642 | 10,757 | #41 |
| 1957 | 25 | #2,260 | 11,603 | #37 |
| 1956 | 19 | #2,697 | 11,334 | #37 |
| 1955 | 19 | #2,616 | 11,003 | #35 |
| 1954 | 18 | #2,674 | 10,085 | #37 |
| 1953 | 23 | #2,222 | 9,729 | #38 |
| 1952 | 13 | #3,159 | 9,586 | #36 |
| 1951 | 14 | #2,896 | 8,999 | #38 |
| 1950 | 6 | #5,149 | 8,362 | #37 |
| 1949 | 16 | #2,598 | 8,266 | #38 |
| 1948 | 21 | #2,174 | 8,048 | #37 |
| 1947 | 19 | #2,336 | 8,590 | #36 |
| 1946 | 15 | #2,572 | 7,483 | #38 |
| 1945 | 22 | #1,817 | 6,483 | #38 |
| 1944 | 22 | #1,856 | 6,340 | #40 |
| 1943 | 17 | #2,227 | 6,877 | #39 |
| 1942 | 18 | #2,102 | 6,587 | #39 |
| 1941 | 13 | #2,505 | 5,607 | #44 |
| 1940 | 20 | #1,832 | 5,049 | #43 |
| 1939 | 11 | #2,711 | 4,639 | #46 |
| 1938 | 16 | #2,096 | 4,293 | #48 |
| 1937 | 14 | #2,289 | 3,809 | #52 |
| 1936 | 13 | #2,364 | 3,714 | #56 |
| 1935 | 11 | #2,698 | 3,422 | #59 |
| 1934 | 23 | #1,597 | 3,290 | #61 |
| 1933 | 16 | #2,032 | 3,137 | #60 |
| 1932 | 22 | #1,671 | 3,130 | #62 |
| 1931 | 16 | #2,090 | 3,122 | #61 |
| 1930 | 16 | #2,192 | 3,266 | #56 |
| 1929 | 25 | #1,590 | 3,216 | #55 |
| 1928 | 29 | #1,495 | 3,299 | #56 |
| 1927 | 26 | #1,663 | 3,301 | #59 |
| 1926 | 19 | #2,058 | 3,358 | #58 |
| 1925 | 13 | #2,743 | 3,373 | #60 |
| 1924 | 17 | #2,294 | 3,520 | #59 |
| 1923 | 18 | #2,148 | 3,409 | #58 |
| 1922 | 24 | #1,775 | 3,545 | #57 |
| 1921 | 16 | #2,357 | 3,548 | #57 |
| 1920 | 17 | #2,244 | 3,497 | #57 |
| 1919 | 16 | #2,238 | 3,375 | #57 |
| 1918 | 11 | #2,983 | 3,711 | #53 |
| 1917 | 13 | #2,522 | 3,464 | #50 |
| 1916 | 13 | #2,464 | 3,370 | #50 |
| 1915 | 20 | #1,730 | 3,302 | #49 |
| 1914 | 12 | #2,101 | 2,624 | #48 |
| 1913 | 9 | #2,295 | 1,934 | #51 |
| 1912 | 5 | #3,335 | 1,679 | #48 |
| 1911 | 5 | #2,789 | 845 | #50 |
| 1910 | — | — | 631 | #56 |
| 1909 | — | — | 539 | #56 |
| 1908 | — | — | 541 | #53 |
| 1907 | — | — | 473 | #61 |
| 1906 | 6 | #1,907 | 427 | #59 |
| 1905 | — | — | 409 | #62 |
| 1904 | — | — | 395 | #62 |
| 1903 | — | — | 372 | #58 |
| 1902 | — | — | 433 | #51 |
| 1901 | — | — | 343 | #57 |
| 1900 | — | — | 443 | #58 |
| 1899 | 6 | #1,553 | 354 | #53 |
| 1898 | — | — | 409 | #54 |
| 1897 | — | — | 397 | #51 |
| 1896 | — | — | 402 | #52 |
| 1895 | — | — | 412 | #53 |
| 1894 | — | — | 391 | #55 |
| 1893 | — | — | 392 | #54 |
| 1892 | — | — | 465 | #45 |
| 1891 | — | — | 396 | #45 |
| 1890 | — | — | 410 | #45 |
| 1889 | — | — | 425 | #45 |
| 1888 | — | — | 498 | #41 |
| 1887 | 6 | #1,130 | 421 | #43 |
| 1886 | — | — | 437 | #42 |
| 1885 | — | — | 516 | #33 |
| 1884 | — | — | 524 | #34 |
| 1883 | — | — | 450 | #36 |
| 1882 | — | — | 461 | #36 |
| 1881 | — | — | 428 | #37 |
| 1880 | — | — | 496 | #31 |
About the data: counts are Social Security card applications for US births, for names given to at least five babies of a sex in a year (SSA, names.zip, public domain). Ranks follow SSA’s own order: most births first, ties alphabetical. Files retrieved 2026-10-05 (checksum on our sources page).