Pete

Did you know?

A few things about Pete you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.

⭐ Famous Pete

Pete Sampras

American tennis player (born 1971)

Choose Pete and your child shares a first name with Pete Sampras, an American tennis player. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Pete, like who?” Pete Sampras's Wikipedia article is available in 79 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.

Read about Pete Sampras on Wikipedia ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Photo: Craig ONeal, CC BY-SA 2.0 (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons

• 👶How commonAbout 1 in every 29,412 baby boys born in the US in 2025 was named Pete, 58 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Pete would very likely be the only one.
• 📜HistoryPete has been in use since at least 1880, the first year US birth records were kept. That's 145 years of Petes, and counting.
• 🏆Best yearIt was far more popular in 1908, when it ranked #173. Today it's #2,363, so it could be due a comeback.
• 🚀TrendPete has climbed 142 places in the US rankings over the last five years and now sits at #2,363. Fast risers like this often keep climbing, so expect to hear it more.
• 📍Where it's lovedPete is most popular in Tennessee, where it ranks #927. It's in the top 1,000 in 1 state.
• 💬MeaningPete is an English form of Peter, which means “rock”. Our records link it to English and Greek roots.

About the name Pete

Pete is a boy name of English and Greek origin meaning “rock”. It has 4 letters and 1 syllable, starting with P and ending in “-ete”. US birth records list Pete for boys from 1880 to 2025, in 146 of those 146 years. Its best year was 1908, when it ranked #173 among boy names. In 2025 it ranked #2,363, with 58 babies.

Origin:English namesGreek names