ESC Name Rank Total Searching... No names found Try searching for: Emma, Liam, Olivia, Noah... 1950 First Year 2024 Last Year 1989 Peak Year #2359 Peak Rank 810 Total Count 65 Years Active 🌍 ## Meaning & Origin of Peterson What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures. Peterson/Petersen is a Scandinavian and English patronymic surname meaning "son of Peter." The given name Peter is derived from the Greek πέτρος (petros), meaning "rock" or "stone," and has been a popular name choice throughout history due to the Christian apostle Peter. Source: [Wikipedia ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peterson%5F%28surname%29) (CC BY-SA 3.0). [Read more → ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peterson%5F%28surname%29) 📖 ## The Story of Peterson Peterson first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1950, with 5 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 1989: 28 births, good for #2,359 nationwide. The 1980s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 22% of all recorded Petersons. Its most recent appearance in the national data came in 2024 (9 births); the name has since faded from the published rankings. In total, more than 810 Petersons have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1950s through the 2020s. ## Popularity Over Time ## Popularity by State ME WA MT ND MN WI MI NY VT NH MA OR ID SD IA IL IN OH PA NJ CT RI CA NV WY NE MO KY WV VA MD DE DC UT CO KS AR TN NC SC AK AZ NM OK LA MS AL GA HI TX FL Top 10 11-50 51-100 101-500 500+ No data 🎶 ## Names that sound like Peterson Phonetically similar names — useful when Peterson is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name. * Petersen * Pettersson * [Patterson](/patterson) * Paterson * Petterson * Pettersen * Pedersen * Pederson * Batterson * [Patron](/patron) * [Parson](/parson) * [Pearson](/pearson) Source: [Datamuse ](https://www.datamuse.com/api/). Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated. ❓ ## Frequently Asked Questions about Peterson What does the name Peterson mean? Peterson/Petersen is a Scandinavian and English patronymic surname meaning "son of Peter." The given name Peter is derived from the Greek πέτρος (petros), meaning "rock" or "stone," and has been a popular name choice throughout history due to the Christian apostle Peter. How popular is Peterson in 2026? In 2026, Peterson ranks #8,287 among boys' names in the U.S., with 9 babies given the name that year. When was Peterson most popular? Peterson reached its peak popularity in 1989, ranking #2,359 that year with 28 babies given the name. In which U.S. states is Peterson most popular? Peterson has historically been most popular in Florida, New York, California. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Peterson. Is Peterson a unisex name? In U.S. Social Security records, Peterson is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name. What names go well with Peterson? Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Peterson include Kierre, Lynell, Craven. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data. ## Similar Names [👦KierrePeak #2359](/kierre)[👦LynellPeak #2358](/lynell)[👦CravenPeak #2360](/craven)[👦TheoplisPeak #2360](/theoplis)[👦MarcellePeak #2358](/marcelle)[👦DartPeak #2360](/dart)[👦KostasPeak #2358](/kostas)[👦AlonPeak #2361](/alon) ## About the name Peterson Peterson is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1950 and has accumulated 810 births in the dataset. Peterson's peak popularity came in 1989 when it ranked #2,359\. Use the chart and map above to compare Peterson's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices. ### Continue exploring * [ Top names of 1989 → ](/year/1989) * [ Names of the 1980s → ](/decade/1980s) * [ Names starting with "P" → ](/letter/p) * [ Browse all boy names → ](/names/boys) * [ Top names of 2026 → ](/year/2026) Data sources * Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. [Social Security Administration ](https://www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/). Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships. * Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — [Behind the Name ](https://www.behindthename.com/) (used under their public API terms). * Meaning prose and editorial summary — [Wikipedia ](https://en.wikipedia.org/) article extracts, licensed under [CC BY-SA 3.0 ](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/). * Predicted nationality distribution — [Nationalize.io ](https://nationalize.io/). * Phonetically similar names — [Datamuse ](https://www.datamuse.com/api/). Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.