Petra
The feminine form of Peter in German, Dutch, and Scandinavian use, from the Greek petros, a stone.
Petra in 2025
Petra was given to 161 babies in the United States in 2025, making it the 2,583rd most popular name of the year. That is roughly one in every 20,592 babies born.
The history of Petra
Petra reached its highest point in 1927, when 205 babies were given the name, ranking 889th that year. Its best-ever ranking was 699th, in 1894.
Across the 145 years of records since 1881, 14,626 babies have been named Petra. Half of them were born before 1961, which places the name's centre of gravity with the Baby Boomers.
Petra by decade
| Decade | Babies named Petra | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 136 | 880 |
| 1890s | 257 | 699 |
| 1900s | 407 | 787 |
| 1910s | 1,012 | 812 |
| 1920s | 1,822 | 889 |
| 1930s | 1,325 | 901 |
| 1940s | 1,065 | 1,205 |
| 1950s | 1,059 | 1,330 |
| 1960s | 1,260 | 1,368 |
| 1970s | 1,170 | 1,636 |
| 1980s | 883 | 1,936 |
| 1990s | 828 | 2,739 |
| 2000s | 1,046 | 2,885 |
| 2010s | 1,433 | 2,418 |
| 2020s | 923 | 2,388 |
Where Petra is heading
Petra has fallen 9% over the past decade, from 176 babies in 2015 to 161 in 2025.
Names like Petra
Names that rose and fell at the same time as Petra.