Total births
14,559
Girls' name · since 1881
Petra
Petra has 14,559 recorded births since 1881 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1927 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #1484
- among girls today
- 14,559
- born since 1881
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 92%
- more common than other girls
Yes -- Petra is the #1484 most popular girls' name in the U.S. today, with 14,559 recorded since 1881.
Social Security Administration records show Petra recorded 14,559 times among girls since 1881, holding rank #1484 nationally today, ahead of 92% of girls, peaking in the 1920s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1881 to 2025.
- #1484 among girls today
- 14,559 born since 1881
- 1920s peak decade
- 92% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Petra is currently the #1484 girls' name in America, more common than 92% of girls - 14,559 born since 1881, peaking in the 1920s.
- #1484
- among girls today
- 14,559
- born since 1881
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 92%
- more common than other girls
Petra vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#1484
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 92% of names given to girls today.
1920s
Peak decade
12% of everyone ever named Petra was born in this single decade.
1927
Single peak year
197 babies were named Petra in 1927 - its busiest year on record.
How Petra compares
14,559 Top 7% higher than 93% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Petra's all-time total is 38x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Petra | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 14,559 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 197 | 48 | 19,840 |
Petra's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Petra splits its recorded history at 1953: 57% of all births land in the more recent half, 43% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1882 (9 births) -- compare that against the 1927 peak of 197 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Petra at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1927
Current rank
#1,484
Active since
1881
Petra popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1881–2025
- Peak year (1927)
- 197
- Annual births at peak, across 145 years of records
Petra popularity over time - boys
67 total births recorded since 1918 (Petra as boys' name)
Petra by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Petra's strongest decade.
1,791 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 12% of all-time use.
Petra births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 136
1880s
136 births
- 1890s 257
1890s
257 births
- 1900s 407
1900s
407 births
- 1910s
1910s
1,007 births
- 1920s
1920s
1,791 births
- 1930s
1930s
1,309 births
- 1940s
1940s
1,060 births
- 1950s
1950s
1,059 births
- 1960s
1960s
1,260 births
- 1970s
1970s
1,165 births
- 1980s
1980s
883 births
- 1990s
1990s
823 births
- 2000s
2000s
1,046 births
- 2010s
2010s
1,433 births
- 2020s
2020s
923 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 1,791 births (12% of all-time use).
How Petra compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Petra's total volume
Petra vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Petra by state
Where Petra concentrates geographically, total births since 1881
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 5,205 | 35.8% |
| #2 | California | | 2,082 | 14.3% |
| #3 | New York | | 627 | 4.3% |
| #4 | Arizona | | 317 | 2.2% |
| #5 | Illinois | | 272 | 1.9% |
| #6 | New Mexico | | 270 | 1.9% |
| #7 | Florida | | 201 | 1.4% |
| #8 | Washington | | 150 | 1.0% |
Texas share of Petra's total US births 35.8%
Even split
5,205 of 14,559 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 27 reporting states.
Petra appears in 27 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Petra? ▼
14,559 babies have been named Petra since 1881. It currently ranks #1484 among girls. The peak year was 1927 with 197 births.
When was Petra most popular? ▼
Petra was most popular in the 1920s decade with 1,791 total births. The single peak year was 1927.
Where is Petra most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Petra are Texas (5,205 births), California (2,082 births), New York (627 births).
How long has the name Petra been used? ▼
Petra has been recorded in Social Security data since 1881, spanning 145 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Petra? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Petrina, Peter, Petrona, Petronella, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Petra's data
- Petra's usage has stayed within range of its 1920s decade-level peak (1,791 total births) through the 2020s (923) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- Texas records the most Petras (5,205 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Petra
Nearby Names Like Petra
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Petra
Petrina Girl
2,107 births
Peter Girl
1,943 births
Petrona Girl
#3474 409 births
Petronella Girl
335 births
Petula Girl
179 births
Compare Petra side by side: Petra vs Petrina Petra vs Peter Petra vs Petrona
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Petra
Winslow #1483
935 births · Peak 2025
Lidia #1485
11,326 births · Peak 2008
Blakelynn #1482
1,176 births · Peak 2024
Carina #1486
16,494 births · Peak 1995
Alaiyah #1481
2,115 births · Peak 2021
Yuri #1487
3,769 births · Peak 2022
Hartley #1480
2,219 births · Peak 2024
Harleigh #1488
5,272 births · Peak 2017
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1881–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Petra: #1484 Girls' Name - 14,559 Births, Peak 1927." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/petra. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Petra draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.