Find out how popular the last name Peter is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Peter.

Peter, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Peter surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Peter in America

Peter is the 3859th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Peter surname appeared 9,191 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Peter.

We can also compare 2010 data for Peter to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Peter

The surname Peter has its origins in the medieval period, stemming from the personal name Peter, which was derived from the Greek name Petros, meaning "rock" or "stone." This name was borne by the apostle Peter, one of the twelve apostles of Jesus Christ, and has been a popular name throughout Christian history.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Peter can be traced back to the 11th century in England, where it was initially used as a patronymic surname, indicating a person's lineage as the son of Peter. In the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of landholdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror, several individuals with the surname Peter are mentioned, such as Petrus de Suttuna and Petrus de Minstreu.

In the 12th and 13th centuries, the surname Peter became more widespread throughout England, particularly in regions like Norfolk, Suffolk, and Essex. It was also adopted by families in other parts of Europe, including Germany, where variations like Peters and Petersen emerged.

One of the earliest known bearers of the surname Peter was John Peter (c. 1310-1384), an English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Hertfordshire in the 14th century. Another notable figure was Hugh Peter (1598-1660), an English preacher and political activist who played a significant role in the English Civil War and the execution of King Charles I.

In the United States, the surname Peter can be traced back to the colonial era, with early immigrants from England, Germany, and other parts of Europe. One of the earliest recorded instances is that of Jonathan Peter (1664-1731), a colonial American merchant and entrepreneur who settled in New York and became one of the wealthiest individuals in the British colonies.

Other notable individuals with the surname Peter include Arno Allan Penzias (1933-), an American physicist and Nobel Prize laureate, and Randolph Peter (1920-2010), an American businessman and philanthropist who co-founded the multibillion-dollar real estate company Trammell Crow Company.

Throughout its history, the surname Peter has also been associated with various place names and locations, such as Peterborough in England, which likely derived its name from the Old English words "peter" (a marsh or meadow) and "burgh" (a fortified town).

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Peter

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Peter.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Peter was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Peter has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Peter was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Peter, please contact us.

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