Peter comes from the Greek Petros and means "rock" or "stone"; it was the name Jesus gave the apostle Simon, the rock on which the church was to be built. From Peter Rabbit and Peter Pan to Peter Parker, the name runs through English-language children's stories. Peter has never been out of the US top 1000: it ranked number 125 in 2000, held steady just above 200 for most of the 2010s and has edged up again to number 187 in 2025.