| Alexander | Peter | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Defender of men | Rock, stone |
| Origin | greek | Greek |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | al-ig-ZAN-der | PEE-ter |
| Syllables | 4 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1880 | 1880 |
| Peak year | 1993 (20,530) | 1957 (11,603) |
| In 2025 | 7,230 | 1,954 |
| Trend | Declining | Steady |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Alexander | Peter |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 51,145 | 10,923 |
| 2010s | 142,161 | 18,725 |
| 2000s | 178,847 | 26,136 |
| 1990s | 183,952 | 42,394 |
| 1980s | 82,010 | 56,713 |
| 1970s | 24,932 | 62,320 |
| 1960s | 14,168 | 92,418 |
| 1950s | 12,180 | 102,747 |
| 1940s | 9,477 | 69,330 |
| 1930s | 7,095 | 35,822 |
| 1920s | 12,539 | 34,066 |
| 1910s | 11,352 | 24,935 |
| 1900s | 2,230 | 4,375 |
| 1890s | 1,954 | 4,028 |
| 1880s | 2,081 | 4,656 |
From Greek 'alexein' (to defend, protect) and 'aner/andros' (man), so 'defender/protector of men'. Note this is strictly 'defender' rather than 'warrior', though its martial fame comes from Alexander the Great.
From the Greek petros, “rock.” Jesus renames the apostle Simon as Peter, the rock of the church.
Alexander is more popular than Peter today: about 7,230 US babies were given the name Alexander in 2025, compared with 1,954 named Peter.
Alexander means Defender of men (greek origin), while Peter means Rock, stone (Greek origin).
In US records, Alexander first appears in 1880 and Peter in 1880, so Alexander has the longer recorded history.