Petr - Name Meaning and Popularity -

Meaning of Petr

Rooted in the Greek Πέτρος (Petros)—“rock” or “stone”—and transmitted into Czech through the ecclesiastical Latin Petrus, Petr stands as a Slavic cognate of the venerable English Peter, yet retains a distinctly Central-European cadence. Its biblical association with the Apostle Peter endows the name with connotations of steadfastness, doctrinal authority, and foundational strength, qualities that have resonated through centuries of Christian tradition and European literature alike. Although firmly established in Czech-speaking contexts, Petr remains an uncommon choice in the United States: Social Security data reveal only single-digit annual usages over the last quarter-century, with a modest historical high of five to twelve births per year and a fleeting peak rank of 658 in 1975. This understated presence grants the name an aura of continental sophistication without sacrificing familiarity, offering anglophone parents a culturally distinctive alternative to Peter while preserving the name’s enduring symbolic weight.