Peter

Jesus Christ had several apostles in the New Testament of the Bible. One of them was named Simon. However, he shortly changed his name to Peter. That apostle made the name common throughout the Christian world.

Peter comes from the Greek "Petros," meaning "stone." Yet, when it entered England during the Norman Conquest, the Old French Piers was most common. Peter replaced it by the fifteenth century. Between the tenth and fifteenth centuries, saints have worn the name. These include eleventh-century reformer St. Peter Damian. After the fifteenth century, the Russian tsar Peter the Great became another famous namesake.

In the United States, Peter was a top 100 name through the 1990s. It ranks just below the top 200 today. That puts it among the most classic of boys' names. The name is also declining in other nations though it  remains on the charts in Hungary, England and Wales, and Slovenia. 

Throughout its long history, Peter associated itself with several famous characters, from Beatrix Potter's Peter Rabbit to the nursery rhyme Peter Piper to Spiderman's alter-ego Peter Parker. 

Parents are more likely to use other Biblical classics like David and Adam than Peter today. Yet, this literary, Biblical, and timeless name can work in any time period. 

STYLES:

Artistic, Biblical, Timeless

SISTERS:

Theresa, Jane, Laura, Alice, Marian, Helen, Ruth, Emily

BROTHERS:

Robert, Mark, Thomas, David, Philip, Allen, Gregory, Stephen

ALTERNATIVES:

Walter, Pedro, Roger, Pattin, Titus, Cesar, Heath, Oscar

What do you think about Peter?

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Hazel

Image
In the Northern Hemisphere, there is a common broadleaf tree. It produces nuts with a certain shade of brown. The tree and nut have one name in common: Hazel. The nature name, which derives from the Old English hæsel , has been in sparing use as a unisex name between the late 1700s and early 1800s. It became a common feminine name alongside Myrtle and Olive in the late Victorian Era. Hazel was a top 100 American name between 1886 and 1936, peaking in the top 20 in 1897.  Hazel was popular in Australia, Canada, and New Zealand around the same time as its American run. However, it did not enter the British top 100 until 1924. It remained popular in England and Wales until 1954, making it more retro over there.  As Hazel declined in popularity, pop culture reminded the public of its dated sound. A comic strip featuring a troubled housekeeper by the name and Witch Hazel from Looney Tunes did the job.  Hazel dropped out of the American top 1000 in 1976. It began its revival when it reentere
Read more

Predicted Top 100 Girls' Names 2022

With the new name data coming out this Friday, it is time to predict the popular names once again.  I will begin with the girls' top 100. There have been few changes last year, but I expect more to happen this year. Here are the names I think will enter the top 100: Eloise -Eloise does not just fit in our era of "el" names, but its kidlit connections also makes this today's Madeline. It rose nearly 30 spots last year to #109, so it will take under 10 spots to make this popular. Iris -Iris is a goddess name in the key of Luna and Aurora and a vintage nature name like Hazel and Ivy. It has also risen 20 spots to #107 last year. Maeve -This has risen from the 170s all the way to the 120s last year under the influence of the television series Sex Education . Rising just 25 more spots will make this popular. Raelynn -This has risen little this past year, but its similarity in country-singer association to Paisley gives it potential.  When new names enter the top 100, there
Read more