Etymology: < the name of St Peter < classical Latin Petrus < Hellenistic Greek Πέτρος , use as a name of ancient Greek πέτρος stone (see petro- comb. form¹), after Palestinian Aramaic kēpā (Cephas ) ‘stone’, the surname conferred by Christ upon one of his disciples, Simon Peter, historically known as St Peter. Some of the main forms of the name in other languages are: Anglo-Norman Piers , Pers , Pierce , French Pierre (Old French Pierres , oblique Pierre ), Occitan Peire , Catalan Pere , Spanish Pedro , Portuguese Pedro , Italian Pietro , Piero , Dutch Piet , Pieter , German Peter , Norwegian Per , Peer , Swedish Petter , Per , Pär , Danish Per , Irish Peadar , Welsh Pedr , Russian Pëtr , Polish Piotr , Czech Petr , Hungarian Péter . Compare St. Peter n.In the medieval period the appeal of St Peter was very great (more churches in England were dedicated to him than to any other apostle). His name is attested in Old English and Middle English both in the Latin form Petrus and the anglicized form Peter (compare also Middle English Petre , Petir , Petur , Petyr ); Peter is attested as a personal name in England from the first half of the 13th cent. In sense A. 2 (as also in peter-boat n., Peter net n., and peterman n., and in Peter's boat n., Peter's fish n. at Compounds 3 and variants below) with allusion to the original profession of the apostle Peter as fisherman. In sense A. 4 perhaps short for Peter-see-me n. In sense A. 5 short for Blue Peter n. 2a. In sense A. 6 probably alluding to the identification of St Peter as the holder of the keys to heaven (as also in Peterlock n. at Compounds 2), although perhaps compare also Phrases; or perhaps in senses A. 6b and A. 6c punning on the etymological meaning of the name, ‘stone’. In sense A. 7 apparently shortened < the name Peter Funk (see Peter Funk n.). In Phrases the collocation with Paul reflected in quot. a1400 at Phrases may originally have arisen simply from the fact that the names alliterate and are both well known (compare Jack and Jill ); but something is probably due also to the association of the names of St Peter and St Paul, as leading apostles and saints, and as fellow-martyrs at Rome. The specific phrase to rob Peter to pay Paul , etc., probably shows the same origin (the specific origin suggested by quot. 1661 at Phrases is invalidated by the chronology); a similar phrase occurs also in French, découvrir Saint Pierre pour couvrir Saint Paul (1611 in Cotgrave), also déshabiller Pierre pour habiller Paul, etc.

Etymology: < Peter n. With sense 1 compare Peter n. 6a. In sense 3 perhaps partly also with allusion to saltpetre n.; compare slightly later pete n. 2b. With sense 4 compare earlier peterman n. 4.

Etymology: Origin unknown. Perhaps compare peter v.¹ 1. Alternatively, perhaps compare French péter to explode (1585 in Middle French), to break wind (1380 in Middle French; < pet pet n.¹), and the semantic development of fizzle v.; with the mining context of much early use, perhaps also, or alternatively, compare saltpetre n.