Holding steady, #8,243 for boys today.
Popularity of Petros since 1964
Babies named Petros per year in U.S. Social Security records. Raw births topped out in 2007, but relative to how few babies were recorded back then, Petros's real moment was 1979.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Boys |
|---|---|
| 1960s | 20 |
| 1970s | 115 |
| 1980s | 116 |
| 1990s | 138 |
| 2000s | 136 |
| 2010s | 123 |
| 2020s | 67 |
Meaning & origin
Petros is the direct Greek form of Peter, a name whose meaning of rock has carried profound symbolic weight for two millennia. In the United States, Petros has never been a common choice: it was first recorded in 1964 and reached its peak rank of 8,243 in 2025, with a one-in-189,786 frequency that year. The name's trajectory has been stable over recent decades, even as its English counterpart, Peter, has declined in use. Petros remains most associated with families of Greek heritage, and its strong, consonant-heavy sound gives it a distinctive presence. While not appearing among any top state rankings, it retains cultural and religious significance, particularly within the Greek Orthodox community, where it honors the apostle Peter as a foundational figure of Christianity.
Petros is the Greek form of Peter, deriving from the Greek word "petra" meaning rock or stone. In the New Testament, Jesus gave the name Petros to the apostle Simon, signifying him as the rock upon which the church would be built. The name has been used throughout the Christian world, particularly in Greek-speaking regions, and remains common in Greece and Cyprus.
Sibling names for Petros
Names that share Petros's style, for a brother or sister.
