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[Opinions] Peter
What do you think of Peter? Why do you think it has taken a nosedive in popularity? I never thought much of Peter.The fact that it can be slang for penis (which I've never actually heard used) threw me off. Just today I was trying to think of P names and started to like Peter. If I had a son Peter I would probably only ever call him Pete or Perry, though, because Peter sounds like "peeder" when I say it. I really like Pete, though.
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Peter was one of the first names I can remember loving, along with Charlotte for a girl. I still like it a lot. The slang usage does bug me slightly as well but I've never heard it used in real life and I don't think it would be a real problem. Not a big fan of Pete, but Perry is cute.
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I really like Peter. It is a name I would definitely consider using. I think it fell at of usage because it had been common for a very long time like Edward or Robert. At #206, it is currently at its lowest ever usage in the U.S.A., but it is still very recognizable because history and culture are full of people named Peter. People who come to mind are Peter the apostle, Peter Pan, Peter the Great of Russia and more recently Peter Quill from "Guardians of the Galaxy." Other name associations Peter Parker (Spiderman), Peter Rabbit, Peter Pevensie, Peter Pettigrew, Peter Fox (comic character), Peter Higgs (Nobel Prize of Physics), etc... With so many famous bearers, it probably seems far more used to people than it currently is. I had never heard that Peter was used as a slang term until I got on name sites, and people would mention it in the comments section. Could it be a British slang term? I hadn't heard of any negative associations with Randal until a British person on Behind the Name commented. Pete and Perry aren't really my taste, but I prefer Perry over Pete.

This message was edited 1/26/2017, 4:03 PM

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Peter was in the top 25 here between the 1920s and the 1980s, long enough for there to be a heavy saturation of them across generations. Before the 20th century it wasn't especially popular - not unheard of, but certainly not in the league of Charles, James, Thomas, etc. So, much like Andrew and Stephen, which had similar curves, even though it's historic it seems very last-century, and maybe that's why it's dropped so much in popularity.
I like it. I like Perry for it too: a nice way of reviving it, maybe.
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I've always thought Peter's a handsome name, a normal, down to earth classic, but maybe it's seen as dated. Until recently I only associated with the Narnia character, so it had some sparkle to it, but I didn't love it. Now I have a huge crush on the X-Men film version of Quicksilver, and he's Peter in that (and played by the equally amazing Evan Peters lol), so I'm really liking it at the moment. I don't think I'd use it as a first, but it could be a great middle with a more unusual first.
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I love the name Peter. It's my Dad's name but I know some of all ages even though it is far more popular for men my father's age.It will almost definitely be a middle name for my first born son. I have occasionally considered it as a first name as well. I wouldn't be opposed to using it.I hear about it being another word for penis but I have never heard it used as such so it doesn't bother me. 'Willy' is too. So is 'Dick'. It hasn't stopped people using William or Richard and there are still men out there who choose to go by Dick. There are also a tonne of people with the surname Johnson and I know many of them and I've never heard it be mentioned to them.
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I named my son Peter, pronounced with a T, not a D. And it's worked very well - it suits him and everyone likes it.I also saw a reference to the supposed penis connection, but, like you, I've never encountered it IRL. Anyway, it hasn't stopped anyone from using William, and one encounters willie = penis on a daily basis.As far as I know, there was only one other Peter in my son's age group. I named him after a good friend, so I was aware the name was a tad dated but I didn't care.As for the nosedive, I think popular names do very often suffer an abrupt fall in the charts. Sometimes, they bounce back, usually if they were classics to begin with; sometimes they don't. I'd expect to see more Peters now that even the odder biblical names are becoming trendy.
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I really love Peter. It was the name of a man I was sooo in love with once upon a time. I don't know why it has lost its popularity, except that similar names have also. I'm thinking of other once-popular Biblical names -- John, Mark, Paul, Timothy....
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Peter sparkles. It's so clean and intelligent sounding.Peter has been my #1 favorite name for a boy since I can remember. And then I met my husband who very conveniently happens to be named Peter (goes by Pete). How lucky is that? I actually dislike the nn Pete, but it's a good thing my hubs goes by this because Peter is my brother's name (hence my love for it since childhood). Anyway, Perry is an interesting nn for it. I never would have thought of that, thanks. Another potential nn: Rocky? I also love Piers / Pearse. I dislike the Pierce spelling because it looks painful.
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