The name Peter does not have a unique meaning in Hebrew. Soelt as פטרוס for Petros or פיטר for Peter, the name carries the same meaning as it does in English. 'Peter' comes from the Latin 'petra' that, in turn, comes from the Greek word πέτρος (petros) which means 'rock' or 'stone'. Within the New Testament of the Bible, Jesus gave Saint Peter the name 'Kephas' or 'Cephas' which means 'stone' in Aramaic. It is suggested that the name carries extra meaning from Saint Peter who had an impulsive nature and rock-like faith.
Saint Peter is considered to be one of the most prominent of Jesus' apostles and many suggest that he was the very first pope. Because of Saint Peter's reputation, the name Peter became common throughout the Christian world. Within England, the Normans were the first to introduce the name from the Old French form 'Piers'. 'Piers' was gradually replaced by the English spelling 'Peter' starting in the 15th century. There were a number of other saints that were known by the name Peter. In the 11th century there was the reformer Saint Peter Damian and in the 13th century lived preacher Saint Peter Martyr. The name was also borne by rulers of Aragon, Portugal and Russia. Most famous of the latter was the Russian tsar Peter the Great who lived between 1672 and 1725 and defeated Sweden in the Great Northern War.
The name Peter carries some significance in Poland. Spelt 'Piotr', 'Piotrek', 'Piotrus' or 'Piotrunio', any one with this name is allowed to choose their own naming day from a set of dates. There are a number of famous fictional characters bearing the name Peter. These include Peter Rabbit in Beatrix Potter's famous children's books and, of course, Peter Pan, the boy who never wanted to grow up created by J.M. Barrie.
Saint Peter is considered to be one of the most prominent of Jesus' apostles and many suggest that he was the very first pope. Because of Saint Peter's reputation, the name Peter became common throughout the Christian world. Within England, the Normans were the first to introduce the name from the Old French form 'Piers'. 'Piers' was gradually replaced by the English spelling 'Peter' starting in the 15th century. There were a number of other saints that were known by the name Peter. In the 11th century there was the reformer Saint Peter Damian and in the 13th century lived preacher Saint Peter Martyr. The name was also borne by rulers of Aragon, Portugal and Russia. Most famous of the latter was the Russian tsar Peter the Great who lived between 1672 and 1725 and defeated Sweden in the Great Northern War.
The name Peter carries some significance in Poland. Spelt 'Piotr', 'Piotrek', 'Piotrus' or 'Piotrunio', any one with this name is allowed to choose their own naming day from a set of dates. There are a number of famous fictional characters bearing the name Peter. These include Peter Rabbit in Beatrix Potter's famous children's books and, of course, Peter Pan, the boy who never wanted to grow up created by J.M. Barrie.
