Pete
Boy name · #2364 in 2025 · Very rare
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: SSA.
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
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: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.