Peter - Definition and Overview

Peter is a popular male name.

Meaning

Peter comes from the Greek word petros, meaning rock. Jesus called Simon, one of his disciples, Peter. This new name is explained by the statement of Jesus Christ that Petrus, because of his expression of faith is "the rock on which I will build my church".

Notable Peters

Peter has been the name of a number of famous people, including:

• the Christian Saint Peter
• Peter the Great, the first Emperor of the Russian Empire
• Peter, Metropolitan of Moscow
• Peter II of Aragon also called Peter I of Barcelona or Peter I of Catalonia
• Peter Green, the musician
• Peter Greenaway, the film director
• Peter Jackson, the film director
• Peter Pan, a fictional perpetual child character created by J. M. Barrie
• Peter Parker, the 'real' name of the fictional Spider-Man
• Peter Rabbit, the famous Beatrix Potter children's character
• Peter (ピーター), a Japanese transvestite and actor who has appeared in Akira Kurosawa's Ran (among other films).
• Peter (last name unknown), the Accidental Tourist.
• Blue Peter is a long-running children's TV programme in the United Kingdom, named after a flag.
• Peter Griffin is a character on the animated television show Family Guy.