Petra
Girl name · #1368 in 2025 · Rare
Petra ranks #1368 among American girls' names as of 2025, with 161 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #1350, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 11,180 girls born in 2025 was named Petra.
The 144-year story
Petra first appears in the Social Security records in 1881, when 10 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1927, when 197 girls were named Petra — good for #498 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.
Babies named Petra per year. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Petra against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Petra in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Petra is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Petra will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Petra is most common
Geography matters for names, and Petra is no exception. Adjusted for how many girls are born in each state, Petra is most common in NY (0.2 per 1,000), FL (0.2 per 1,000), CA (0.1 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.1 per 1,000 girls. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Petra is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Petra
Statistically, parents drawn to Petra tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Leora, Leonora, Elvira, Carmela, and Ester.
LeoraLeonoraElviraCarmelaEsterOfeliaGenevaOdessa
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Petra | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 161 | #1367 |
| 2024 | 147 | #1484 |
| 2023 | 149 | #1471 |
| 2022 | 140 | #1531 |
| 2021 | 151 | #1426 |
| 2020 | 175 | #1276 |
| 2019 | 172 | #1326 |
| 2018 | 144 | #1512 |
| 2017 | 165 | #1392 |
| 2016 | 158 | #1456 |
| 2015 | 176 | #1350 |
| 2014 | 145 | #1515 |
| 2013 | 134 | #1599 |
| 2012 | 122 | #1705 |
| 2011 | 118 | #1741 |
| 2010 | 99 | #2010 |
| 2009 | 135 | #1650 |
| 2008 | 133 | #1677 |
| 2007 | 124 | #1744 |
| 2006 | 101 | #1978 |
| 2005 | 122 | #1639 |
| 2004 | 89 | #2044 |
| 2003 | 80 | #2167 |
| 2002 | 80 | #2113 |
| 2001 | 91 | #1901 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Petra a popular girl name?
Petra ranked #1368 among girls in 2025 with 161 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #1350.
When was the name Petra most popular?
Petra peaked in 1927, when 197 American girls received the name (ranked #498 that year). Since 1927 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Petra?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 11,180 newborn American girls was named Petra. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "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.