Petrus
/ˈpiːtrəs/noun
A Latin masculine personal name, equivalent to Peter, meaning “rock.”
Did you know?In the New Testament, Jesus gives Simon the name Peter—Greek Petros, Latin Petrus—linking his identity to a foundational rock, though scholars debate the precise wordplay between Greek petros and petra.
Etymological Timeline
1st Millennium BCE
Aramaic
Kēfā
“Rock or stone; the Aramaic name/title associated with Simon Peter.”
1st Century CE
Ancient Greek
Πέτρος (Petros)
“Rock or stone; the Greek form used for the apostle’s name.”
1st–4th Century CE
Latin
Petrus
“Latin form of the Greek name Petros, meaning rock.”
4th–8th Century
Late Latin
Petrus
“A widespread Christian personal name honoring the apostle Peter.”
Medieval English
English
Peter
“The inherited English form of Latin Petrus, used as a masculine personal name.”
Modern English
English
Petrus
“A chiefly historical, ecclesiastical, or personal-name form of Peter.”
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