The name "Peter"

[mark_a]

How common was the name “Peter” for a man in Jesus’ time?

 

[Honoria20]

mark a:

How common was the name “Peter” for a man in Jesus’ time?

I don’t think that it was used very often because the name Peter comes from the word “Kepha” which means rock in Aramaic so it would be like calling someone “Concrete” or something of that nature.

 

[JimG]

As Honoria pointed out, Jesus gave Simon an Aramaic name–Kephas or Cephas, which means Rock. I don’t think there were many Jews in Jesus time who were named “Rock.”

 

[forthright]

I was told that there is no evidence the word was used as a name prior to St. Peter.

 

[volzcpa]

forthright:

I was told that there is no evidence the word was used as a name prior to St. Peter.

I heard the same on a Scott Hahn tape.