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Pete Name Meaning & Historical Trends

Pete

Pronunciation: PEET

Meaning Rock or stone Gender Boy
BOYS RANK
#2,382
TREND
694
Peak Years
1959, 1958, 1960
Lowest Years
2024, 1883, 2019
Energy Archetype
Intellectual & Expressive

Rank shows the name’s position among U.S. baby names for each gender in 2025. Trend shows how many places it rose or fell since 2024. Rank 1 is the most popular. Based on U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA) data. Peak and lowest years are based on the number of boys named Pete in the available records.

Fun Facts About the Name Pete

  • More than 43 thousand babies named Pete: U.S. records list 43,702 babies given the name Pete from 1880 through 2025. Even 170 girls received the name Pete - about 1 girl for every 256 boys.

What Does the Name Pete Mean?

Pete is a short form of Peter, and it carries the same meaning: "rock" or "stone." Peter comes from Greek Petros (Πέτρος), the Greek word for a rock or stone. That Greek name was used to render the Aramaic name Kepa (also written Cephas), which means "rock" or "crag." In the New Testament, Jesus gives this name to the apostle Simon, and the text notes that Cephas is translated as Peter. So the literal sense, in both the Aramaic and the Greek, is a rock or stone. Because Pete is simply a shortened, familiar form of Peter, its meaning is the same as the parent name's.

Pete Name History & Origins

The name moved from Aramaic into Greek and then into Latin and the languages of Christian Europe. In the Gospel of John, Simon is told he will be called Cephas, which the text explains is translated Petros. The Latin form Petrus became standard in the Western church, and the name spread along with Christianity.

In English, the full form Peter is recorded from the Old English period, and it stayed common through the Middle Ages and afterward, largely because of Saint Peter the apostle. Pete is the familiar short form that grew out of Peter in everyday English speech. Like many English diminutives, it serves mainly as a nickname, though it is also used on its own as a given name.

How Popular is the Name Pete?

Pete recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 1959. Its best rank was #173 in 1908.

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.

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.

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How the Name Pete 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.

You are always looking for a chance to do your own thing, to be your own person, and to have things done your own way.

✦ Pete's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Pete's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.
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