Pete

Pete - A very unique male name

Pete appeared on the charts for the first time in 1910 on position #191. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Pete and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Pete? Our experts and editorial staff have gathered trends and insights for 30,000+ baby names over the last 100 years -- And on this page you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about the name Pete. The baby boy name Pete was given to 27 baby boys in 2025, ranking #2195 on the national boy baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 54,307 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Pete peaked in popularity 109 years ago in 1917 on position 187.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Pete, 1-5?

Pete is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Pete is currently topping the baby name charts in Tennessee at position #1,012 - and is the least popular in California at position #2,717.

Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Pete is where you live.

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Pete origin and meaning

Greek, via Peter — short form

Short form of Peter, from Greek petros, "rock, stone"

Pete is the everyday short form of Peter, long used as a given name itself; it peaked in 1959. It has more than 36,000 births in total but only a few dozen a year now.

Attested etymology

Pete is a 4 letter name with 1 syllables.

To see famous people named Pete, pop culture references for the name Pete and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.

Similar to Pete

We've found the following names that sound similar to Pete, sorted by popularity.

Pat / Patty / Petie / Pate / Phat / Poet /

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Name statistics

Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better understanding of how popular or unique this name is.

With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually differ a lot from state to state.

Chart position per year (visualized)

Chart position per state (visualized)

Chart position per year (table view)

Chart position per state (table view)

Even more about Pete

These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.

Is Pete a common or unique name?

By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique male name.

What is the number of syllables for the name Pete?

1 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.

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Pronunciation

PEET · /piːt/

Around the world

No traditional forms in other languages — this name was created in America in our own time.

Spellings and nicknames

• Peter — The full name Pete shortens — a separate established name.

Famous bearers

• Pete Seeger — Folk singer and activist central to the American folk revival (1919–2014) Contemporary
• Pete Buttigieg — US politician and former mayor of South Bend; born Peter and universally known as Pete Buttigieg (b. 1982) Contemporary

Style

Nickname nameShort formClassic

Why parents choose it

Pete is a deliberately unpretentious choice — the friendly short form worn as the whole name.

Worth knowing

• People will routinely assume the full name is Peter.