Petter
Petter is a predominantly Scandinavian masculine given name, found mostly in Norway and Sweden and to a much lesser extent in Denmark. It is a cognate of the name Peter.
Meaning & Origin of Petter
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Petter is a predominantly Scandinavian masculine given name, found mostly in Norway and Sweden and to a much lesser extent in Denmark. It is a cognate of the name Peter.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Petter
Petter first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1918, with 7 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1918, when 7 Petters were born — ranking #3,368 that year. As of 2026, Petter ranks #12,015 for baby boys with 5 births, with steady use. In total, more than 60 Petters have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1910s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Petter
Phonetically similar names — useful when Petter is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Petter
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About the name Petter
Petter is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1918 and has accumulated 60 births in the dataset. Petter's peak popularity came in 1918 when it ranked #3,368. Use the chart and map above to compare Petter's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1918 →
- Names of the 1910s →
- Names starting with "P" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . 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 (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
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.