The first name Petra
A girl’s name from Greek meaning “stone”, “rock”.
Pronounced /ˈpɛ.tɹə/ 2 syllables Female
Meaning and origin
Greek origin
Petra means “stone”, “rock” in Greek.
Feminine form of Peter. Derived from petra (“stone”), from Ancient Greek πέτρα (pétra, “rock”). The name came into regular use in the 19th century.
More names that mean mountain.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 13 girls were named Petra, making it the 2,138th most popular girls’ name. It peaked in 2019, with 40 births (#897).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Petra with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Petra at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 161 girls born in the United States were named Petra, the 1,372nd most popular girls’ name that year. It was used most in 1927, when 197 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Petra in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Spelled Petra in Czech, Dutch, German, Hungarian and Portuguese too.
Famous people named Petra
60 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Petra KvitováCzech tennis player, born 1990
- Petra MartićCroatian female tennis player, born 1991
- Petra NěmcováCzech fashion model, born 1979
- Petra De SutterFlemish politician, born 1963
- Petra FelkeGerman athletics competitor, b. 1959
- Petra KronbergerAustrian alpine skier, born 1969
- Petra CetkovskáCzech tennis player, born 1985
- Petra SchürmannGerman actress and model (1933–2010)
- Petra SchersingEast German sprinter, born 1965
- Petra ThümerEast German swimmer, born 1961
- Petra SchneiderEast German swimmer, born 1963
- Petra BehleGerman biathlete, born 1969
More Greek girls’ names
Questions
- What does the name Petra mean?
- Petra means “stone”, “rock” in Greek.
- What is the origin of the name Petra?
- Feminine form of Peter. Derived from petra (“stone”), from Ancient Greek πέτρα (pétra, “rock”). The name came into regular use in the 19th century.
- How popular is the name Petra?
- In 2025, 13 girls born in England and Wales were named Petra, ranking 2,138th. Its peak was 2019, with 40 births.
- Is Petra a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a girl's name: 100% of the 14,626 US babies named Petra since 1880 were girls.
- When was Petra most popular?
- 1927 in the United States, when 197 babies were named Petra, its highest rank at 499th.
- How do you pronounce Petra?
- Petra is /ˈpɛ.tɹə/, 2 syllables.