Peta
A feminine name derived from Greek, meaning "rock".
Name Census estimates that about 6 living Americans carry the first name Peta. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Peta today is around 27 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Peta births was 1998 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Peta. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Peta. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
6
~ 1 in 57,125,723 Americans
Peak year
1998
6 babies that year
Average age
27
years old
1998 SSA rank
#13,686
Tracked since 1998
Popularity
Peta: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Peta by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Peta during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 0 | 6 | 6 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Peta
The name Peta is derived from the Greek word "petra," which means "rock" or "stone." This name has its roots in ancient Greece, where it was used as a name for both males and females.
In Greek mythology, Petra was the name of one of the Oceanids, the three thousand daughters of the Titans Oceanus and Tethys. The Oceanids were sea nymphs who represented various bodies of water and were depicted as graceful young maidens.
One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Peta can be found in the works of the ancient Greek historian Herodotus, who lived in the 5th century BC. He mentions a woman named Peta who was a priestess of the goddess Aphrodite in the city of Corinth.
In the Middle Ages, the name Peta gained popularity among Christians, as it was associated with the rock upon which Christ built his church, as mentioned in the Bible (Matthew 16:18). St. Peter, one of the twelve apostles of Jesus, was also known as Petros, which means "rock" in Greek.
One of the most famous people named Peta in history was Peta Longu (1270-1352), an Italian philosopher and theologian who was a prominent figure in the Renaissance period. He wrote extensively on topics such as metaphysics, ethics, and the nature of the soul.
Another notable figure was Peta Vaz Caminha (1450-1500), a Portuguese explorer and writer who accompanied Pedro Álvares Cabral on his voyage to Brazil in 1500. His detailed account of the expedition, known as the "Letter of Peta Vaz Caminha," is considered one of the most important documents in the history of Brazil.
In the 16th century, Peta Aretino (1492-1556) was an Italian author, playwright, and satirist who was known for his biting wit and criticism of the powerful and wealthy. He is often regarded as one of the founders of modern literary criticism.
During the Renaissance, the name Peta also became associated with the arts. Peta Perugino (1446-1523) was an Italian Renaissance painter of the Umbrian school, who was renowned for his frescoes and altarpieces, and was the teacher of the famous artist Raphael.
In more recent times, Peta Sutcliffe (1918-2000) was a British actor and playwright who had a successful career in both film and television. He is best known for his roles in popular TV series such as "Fawlty Towers" and "Porridge."
Notable bearers
Famous people named Peta
People
Peta + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Peta as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with P
Other first names starting with P with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Peta: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Peta?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 6 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Peta going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 57,125,723 US residents.
Is Peta a common name?
We classify Peta as "Very Rare". It ranks above 22.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 6 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Peta most popular?
The single biggest year for Peta was 1998, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Peta is about 27 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Peta a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Peta in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.