Happy Easter! Today’s choice is appropriate for the day, but there’s more to him than bunnies.
Thanks to Photoquilty for suggesting Peter as Name of the Day.
Mention Peter on Easter Sunday, and it is hard to think of anything other than bunnies. There’s Peter Rabbit, from Beatrix Potter’s beloved children’s books. And Thornton Burgess’ Peter Cottontail, he of the 1971 Easter special that so many of today’s parents probably watched every spring.
If you’re the church-going kind, Peter might also ring true. The first Saint Peter was a fisherman turned apostle. Born Simon, Jesus nicknamed him rock – petros. The Roman Catholic church considers him the first leader after Jesus’ crucifixion, a proto-Pope, if you will. Head to the Vatican, and you can wander through the cavernous, football-field-dwarfing St. Peter’s Basilica.
The name has been used in commemoration of the saint ever since, and so there are dozens and dozens of Saint Peters through the years.
There’s no shortage of Peters in other fields of endeavor, either. The following is a brief – inevitably incomplete – list:
- Clark Gable won an Oscar for his portrayal of reporter Peter Warne in 1934’s It Happened One Night. While it doesn’t entirely offset the bunny/saint vibe, the character is an appealing one and lends Peter a certain Hollywood dash;
- Other big screen Peters include Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson, The Last Picture Show’s director Peter Bogdanovich and actor Peter Sellers, best known for Dr. Strangelove and The Pink Panther;
- Musical Peters range from Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky to American folk singer Peter Yarrow of 1960s trio Peter, Paul & Mary, to modern musical innovator Peter Gabriel. And let’s not forget Sergei Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf;
- Dozens of aristocratic Peters can be found throughout history, but Russia’s reforming Peter the Great remains one of history’s most admired monarchs;
- Willa Cather penned a tragic short story titled Peter. Philosopher and writer Peter Abelard is remembered for his scandalous romance with Heloise, immortalized in their letters;
- Management guru Peter Drucker lends the name some business savvy;
- The sixteenth-century Pieter Bruegel the Elder is remembered for painting peasants and landscapes; a few decades later, the Flemish Peter Paul Rubens was busy painting voluptuous women. More recently, Peter Max made his name with psychedelic graphics that captured the spirit of the 1960s;
- Peter Browne was aboard the Mayflower;
- Pete Sampras is one of many athletic bearers of the name;
- Any collection of nursery rhymes will include Peter, Peter Pumpkin Eater;
- And, of course, there’s J.M. Barrie’s immortal Peter Pan, first introduced in 1902.
He’s an undeniable classic, and yet he’s out of favor at the moment. Perhaps it is the nursery rhyme (though Jack Sprat isn’t holding back his name) or maybe the rabbits and the boy in green tights put parents off.
But chances are that, like virtually all classic choices for boys, Peter is simply waiting for his comeback.
For the moment, though, he’s a great opportunity for parents hoping for something enduring but not commonplace. In 2007 he ranked #178 – far from obscurity, but a nice alternative to the equally enduring, but heard-everywhere William or James.
Stellan says
May 25, 2012 at 5:35 AMHi,
Was there an entry on this name originally? It’s not showing up for me.
Thanks.
Panya says
April 20, 2009 at 11:54 PMI adore Peter, but my strongest associations are the euphemism, and Peter Brady.
Kylie says
April 17, 2009 at 7:31 PMI love this name! It’s a close contest between Peter and Andrew at our house – I feel like using them both would be a little too much saintliness in one family, although we like them both for their literary connections (Peter Pan and Ender’s Game). Maybe we’ll up with them as brothers, after all. I think Peter is that perfect classic that is not over used. I knew a Peter a few years younger than myself, he never had a problem with teasing because of the slang.
Emmy Jo says
April 14, 2009 at 4:40 PMYes, Esme, we do. The technical linguistic term for it is “flap” and Americans turn both their D’s and T’s into flaps between two vowels in most words.
So, Peter does sound the same as Peder would.
esmesqualor says
April 14, 2009 at 10:18 AMI love the name Peter; it’s stylish without knowing it! It’s also my grandfather’s name, who died before I was born, so it would be a nice way of honouring him. I did come across someone on a board once who said they considered Peter but where put off by the way their fellow Americans pronounced it. That did make me wonder; do Americans say it with a ‘D’ sound rather than a ‘T’, like us Brits?
JNE says
April 13, 2009 at 12:43 AMPeter is a lovely name for a baby – traditional but not too terribly popular. I’m not sure I’d use it personally, but not for any overarching reason other than liking a few names more. I think it would be great to meet some little babies named Peter.
Kat says
April 12, 2009 at 9:27 PMI love the name Peter. My good friend actually just gave birth to a little Peter on Tuesday.
Laney McDonald says
April 12, 2009 at 4:22 PMHoppy Easter, as Anya, Eric and I always say. (Excuse the pun.)
I LOVE Peter. One of my cousins is named Peter, and he’s either 10 or 11 and such a sweet kid. That makes me like the name even more. His sister is named Francesca. One of Grandmom’s brothers is named Peter too. Lots of Peters in our family. I think we have at least three, so I would most likely use Peter as a middle name so people don’t get confused.
Peter is a great name once you get past the Peter Griffin/Family Guy association or the fact that it is a slang term for a certain male body part.
Emmy Jo says
April 12, 2009 at 6:41 PMMy mind immediately jumped to the disciple and not the bunny when I saw this — but I feel so silly for not thinking of Peter Rabbit. You’re absolutely right that this is the perfect Easter name!
I like Peter. I remember when my brother was a little kid he always used to say he’d name his first son Peter. I’ve asked him recently if he still likes it, and I think he does. (Though my brother is a III, so I think he’s planning on making his first son James Edward IV, which is pretty darn cool.)
I taught a sweet little boy named Peter last year. His little brother is Charles and his older sister got a Lebanese name. (The family is from Lebanon.)
I don’t think the slang term is in common use anymore (at least not at the elementary school where I teach), so I can’t imagine Peter being a problem for that reason.
Great Name of the Day!
Lola says
April 12, 2009 at 5:46 PMHappy Easter to Everyone!
Indeed, Peter is a grand name. I like it but was daunted enough 22 years ago by that slang to name him Simon instead. (Granted that was the Uncle but still, Simon-Peter is drilled in my head, they’re practically interchangeable for me). I also had a Great Uncle named Pyotr. He died diving off a bridge the summer of ’22. Hit a shallow spot. He was my Babci’s favorite brother too. The youngest. She was 24, he was 17. So Peter sits on my lists but I don’t think I’ll ever use him. Pete does nothing for me. And I’m a consumate nicknamer. I don’t like simple middles overmuch on my boys so he’s not middle material either. I do know a now three year old Peter, just Peter. And he’s an adorable redhead too. RF, I’d consider Peter as a middle, if I were you. He’d balance some of those other, less common names on your list and that would keep him from being that STI! 🙂
If I can consider Gwendolen, nn Wendy because of Barrie perhaps I should give Peter another chance?
rockingfetal says
April 12, 2009 at 5:43 AMI love Peter. I think a few recent television shows and movies helped it to grow on me. Before I probably thought it was a tad dull. I would consider using Peter myself, but it is more common than almost my entire long list. More so, my friends tell me it must be out considering that Peter is a euphemism for male genitalia and when combined with my last name sounds like a STI. :O Oh well.