Fun Facts About the Name Per
- 369 babies named Per: U.S. records list 369 babies given the name Per from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Per Mean?
Per is a Scandinavian masculine name meaning "rock" or "stone." It belongs to the family of names descended from Greek Πέτρος (Petros), a word meaning "rock," which itself renders the Aramaic byname Kefa (Cephas) that the Gospels say Jesus gave to Simon. Latin adopted the Greek name as Petrus, and it is that name, carried north with Christianity, that lies behind the Scandinavian forms. Per is not a translation of a native Scandinavian word; its meaning is inherited from this chain of Greek, Aramaic, and Latin names. It is unrelated to the English preposition per, which comes from a different Latin word.
Per Name History & Origins
The name entered Scandinavia with the spread of Christianity and the veneration of Saint Peter. The earliest Norse forms are Pétr in Old West Norse and Pætur in Old Swedish and Old Danish; over the medieval period these developed into the familiar Peder and Peter. Per is generally explained as a shortened form of those names, produced by dropping the medial consonant, rather than as a fresh borrowing of Latin Petrus. It became established as an independent given name in its own right in Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.
Regional spellings vary: Swedish also has Pär, Norwegian and Danish have Peer, and the Swedish pet form Pelle is traditionally short for Per. The Finnish name Pertti derives from the Swedish form. Per is also a common element in Scandinavian patronymic surnames, as in Swedish Persson and Danish and Norwegian Persen. In literature, the Norwegian form Peer is the title character of Henrik Ibsen's verse play Peer Gynt (1867), a well-known use of the name that is separate from its much older history as a personal name.
How Popular is the Name Per?
Per has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 1963. Its best rank was #2,190 in 1966.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | #13,551 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2011 | #13,810 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2006 | #13,500 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 2004 | #10,977 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2002 | #10,329 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2001 | #7,360 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1998 | #10,867 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1997 | #7,104 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1992 | #9,445 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1991 | #7,982 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1990 | #7,851 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1988 | #5,106 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1987 | #5,322 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1986 | #4,388 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1985 | #7,313 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1984 | #5,426 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1983 | #4,401 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1982 | #7,095 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1980 | #4,833 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1979 | #5,869 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1978 | #4,913 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1977 | #5,661 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1976 | #6,250 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1975 | #6,073 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1974 | #3,079 | 12 | 0.0008% |
| 1973 | #5,679 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1972 | #3,876 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1971 | #2,930 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 1970 | #3,746 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1969 | #2,817 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1968 | #2,280 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 1967 | #3,174 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1966 | #2,190 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 1965 | #3,180 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1964 | #2,286 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 1963 | #2,279 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 1962 | #2,337 | 13 | 0.0006% |
| 1961 | #2,847 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1960 | #4,455 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 1959 | #2,628 | 11 | 0.0005% |
| 1958 | #2,342 | 13 | 0.0006% |
| 1957 | #2,968 | 9 | 0.0004% |
| 1954 | #3,726 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1953 | #3,352 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1938 | #3,914 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1923 | #4,137 | 6 | 0.0005% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
Most Popular Boy Names That Start with P
Short Boy Names That Start with P
How the Name Per Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You have a power of expression, either in speaking or writing. You are in favor for studying and research. You are clever, clear-sighted and intellectual. You don't like to let others know your true feelings. You might be atheistic or agnostic. You have an eventful, exciting life. You are versatile and have the ability to learn easily.
Creative and outgoing, you are always looking for an opportunity to show your abilities, especially before audience. You are very flexible and like to feel appreciated. You are looking for chances to mix with others socially and to communicate your ideas. You like to talk and can easily relate to different cultures and concepts. The biggest challenge for you is uncertainty. Easily getting bored, you can move from one job to another, switch projects and lovers. The high creative force can lead you either to happiness or unhappiness. If you understand your goals, if you can make major decisions in life and follow it directly and straight up without worry and uncertainty, you are able to achieve great heights.
✦ Per's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Per's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.