Peterson

Peterson - A very unique male name



  Nov 07,2026      Abigail Adams, Editorial writer   

Peterson at a glance

Peterson is ranked #4173 among boy baby names in 2017, with 5 births in 2017. It peaked in 1986 at #1856 and first appeared on the charts in 1982.

Rank in 2017
#4173
Births in 2017
5
Peak year
1986 (#1856)
First appeared
1982
Trend
#3230 in 2012 → #4173 in 2017 (Falling)
Popularity
1 in 321,917 boys

Source: U.S. Social Security Administration · Data through 2025 · Updated 2026

Peterson appeared on the charts for the first time in 1982 on position #2496. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Peterson and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Peterson? 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 Peterson. The baby boy name Peterson was given to 5 baby boys in 2017, ranking #4173 on the national boy baby name top chart.

Must Try: Find A Perfect Name Based On Your Last Name...

With that position 1 in 321,917 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Peterson peaked in popularity 40 years ago in 1986 on position 1856.



Famous with this name

Annika Peterson
Bob Peterson
Cassandra Peterson


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Peterson is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Peterson is currently topping the baby name charts in Florida at position #1,911 - and is the least popular in Florida at position #1,911.

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 Peterson is where you live.


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Peterson origin and meaning

Peterson is a 8 letter name with 3 syllables. We couldn't find any information about what this name means. To see famous people named Peterson, pop culture references for the name Peterson and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.

Similar to Peterson

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

Patrick / Patricio / Patricia / Patryk / Patric / Patrice / Padraig / Petros / Padraic / Patrik /

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)


Year Rank
20174173
20123230
20113402
20103696
20073748
20063642
20042943
20023280
20013033
20002652
19993140
19982620
19972500
19963444
19952552
19942772
19932284
19922485
19913419
19902905
19892197
19881933
19872795
19861856
19842516
19822496

Chart position per state (table view)


State Rank
Florida1911

Even more about Peterson


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 Peterson 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 Peterson?

3 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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New data stories


#
On chart
1986
Peak year
Male


Popularity Score™

Name Peterson
Gender Male
Popularity 1 in 321,917
Letter count 8
Syllable count 3
Year first discovered 1982
2017 births +5

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