Peter is a common masculine given name. It is derived, via Latin "petra", from the Greek word πέτρος (petros) meaning "stone" or "rock".

According to the New Testament, Jesus gave Saint Peter (whose given name was Simon) the name Kephas or Cephas meaning "stone" in Aramaic. Saint Peter, according to ancient tradition, became the first bishop of Rome. Roman Catholics consider him to have been the first Pope and all subsequent popes to have been his successors, and therefore sometimes refer to the Pope or the Papacy itself as Peter.