Pete
Boy name · #2364 in 2025 · Very rare
How old is the name Pete? In official American birth records, Pete has been tracked continuously since 1880, giving it 145 years of documented American history.
Pete is currently the #2364 boy name in the United States — 58 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #2189, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 31,034 boys born in 2025 was named Pete.
Babies named Pete per year. Source: Official national birth records.
The 145-year story
Pete first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 50 boys received the name. Its peak came in 1959, when 767 boys were named Pete — good for #285 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Pete against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Pete in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Pete is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Pete will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Pete is most common
State-level data for Pete is too sparse in 2025 to rank by rate — in most states its count falls below the SSA's per-state reporting threshold (counts under 5 are withheld).
Nicknames & related forms of Pete
Pete belongs to the Peter family — closely related nicknames and spellings of the same name.
Counted as one name, the Peter family went to about 2,012 boys in 2025 — together they'd rank around #181, versus #2364 for Pete alone.
Names like Pete
Statistically, parents drawn to Pete tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Monte, Dave, Duane, Stevie, and Dale.
MonteDaveDuaneStevieDaleDewaynePerryRobbie
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Pete | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 58 | #2363 |
| 2024 | 40 | #3045 |
| 2023 | 54 | #2480 |
| 2022 | 55 | #2493 |
| 2021 | 58 | #2349 |
| 2020 | 51 | #2505 |
| 2019 | 44 | #2808 |
| 2018 | 60 | #2262 |
| 2017 | 56 | #2319 |
| 2016 | 49 | #2551 |
| 2015 | 62 | #2189 |
| 2014 | 70 | #2017 |
| 2013 | 63 | #2113 |
| 2012 | 64 | #2104 |
| 2011 | 66 | #2035 |
| 2010 | 65 | #2069 |
| 2009 | 82 | #1809 |
| 2008 | 88 | #1719 |
| 2007 | 89 | #1700 |
| 2006 | 88 | #1627 |
| 2005 | 80 | #1674 |
| 2004 | 86 | #1542 |
| 2003 | 94 | #1410 |
| 2002 | 97 | #1357 |
| 2001 | 90 | #1390 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Pete?
In official American birth records, the name Pete first appeared in 1880 (over 145 years ago), when 50 newborn boys received the name. It has over a century of continuous American history.
Is Pete a popular boy name?
Pete ranked #2364 among boys in 2025 with 58 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #2189.
When was the name Pete most popular?
Pete peaked in 1959, when 767 American boys received the name (ranked #285 that year). Since 1959 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Pete?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 31,034 newborn American boys was named Pete. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very rare".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.