Greek Boy Names That Mean Rock

Greek boy names that mean rock trace mostly to one root, petra, and this list shows how many different shapes that single word can take.

Names33

OriginGreek

MeaningRock

GenderBoy

Start with Peter, and the pattern becomes obvious: Pedro, Pierre, Pietro, and Piero are all the same name wearing Spanish, French, and Italian clothes. Every one carries the Greek root petra, meaning rock or stone — the word Jesus used when naming Simon 'the Rock.'

Pete and Pierce soften that same root into something friendlier and crisper, proof that a name can carry its meaning quietly. Onyx and Emerald get to 'stone' a different way, through gemstone imagery rather than Greek grammar, giving the list two distinct moods.

Why Greek boy names that mean rock keep sounding like Peter

Peter itself comes from the Greek petros, a word for a single stone, cut from the same root as petra, the bedrock Jesus meant when he renamed Simon. That double root is why this list keeps circling back to the same idea in different accents: Pedro in Spanish and Portuguese, Pierre in French, Pietro and Piero in Italian, and Perrin, a medieval French diminutive that shrinks 'rock' down to a pebble.

The gemstone alternative: Onyx and Emerald

Not every name on this list leans on a Latin-alphabet spelling of Greek; Pierce and Pearce are English surname spellings of the same idea, and Jeanpierre pairs it with 'gracious' for a double-meaning name. Onyx and Emerald skip the ancestry lesson entirely and just name the stone: dark and precious, respectively, for parents who want 'rock' to sound modern rather than inherited.

Names List

Peter#187 in the U.S.Rock; stone; from Greek Petros, a translation of Aramaic Kepha (Cephas)Pronounced PEE-ter▶Onyx#365 in the U.S.From the Greek 'onyx', meaning claw or fingernail (because the stone's colors resemble a fingernail) — a Pronounced ON-iks▶Pedro#455 in the U.S.Spanish and Portuguese form of Peter, from Greek 'Petros' meaning rock or stone; the name was given to thPronounced PAY-droh▶Pierce#505 in the U.S.Medieval English form of Piers, itself the Anglo-Norman French form of Peter, from Latin Petrus and GreekPronounced PEERS▶Pierre#1253 in the U.S.Rock, stone, the rockPronounced pee-AIR▶Pete#3076 in the U.S.Short form of Peter, from Latin Petrus and Greek Petros, meaning rock or stone, a translation of Aramaic Pronounced PEET▶Pietro#3658 in the U.S.Italian form of Peter — Greek Petros, 'stone, rock' — the apostle and 'rock' of the ChurchPronounced pee-EH-troh▶Perrin#3747 in the U.S.Medieval French diminutive of Pierre/Peter — 'little rock' — Wheel of Time-famousPronounced PAIR-in▶Emerald#4092 in the U.S.From the word emerald — Greek smaragdos via Latin — the prized green gemstonePronounced EM-ə-rəld▶Piero#4279 in the U.S.Italian form of Peter (a variant of Pietro) — from Greek petros, 'rock, stone'Pronounced pee-AIR-oh▶Pearce#5180 in the U.S.-ear- spelling of Pierce — from a medieval form of Peter, Greek petros, 'rock, stone'Pronounced PEERSS▶Jeanpierre#5306 in the U.S.Compound of Jean (the French John, 'God is gracious') and Pierre (the French Peter, 'rock, stone')Pronounced zhahn-PYAIR▶Onix#5375 in the U.S.-i- spelling of Onyx — from Greek onyx, 'a fingernail/claw; the onyx (a banded black gemstone)'Pronounced OH-niks▶Petros#5815 in the U.S.The Greek form of Peter — from Greek petros, 'a stone, a rock'Pronounced PEH-trohs▶Petar#6373 in the U.S.The Bulgarian/Serbian/Croatian form of Peter — from Greek petros, 'a rock, a stone'Pronounced PEH-tar▶Malachite#7073 in the U.S.From the gemstone malachite (from Greek malache, 'mallow', for its green color); also echoing Malachi, 'mPronounced MAL-uh-kite▶Onyxx#7116 in the U.S.A spelling of Onyx — from Greek onyx, 'a fingernail/claw', the name of the black banded gemstonePronounced ON-iks▶Aunyx#7274 in the U.S.A stylized spelling of Onyx — from Greek onyx, 'a fingernail; a claw' (the name of the banded black gemstPronounced ON-iks▶Ahnyx#7747 in the U.S.A stylized spelling of Onyx — from Greek onyx, 'a claw/nail; the onyx (a black gemstone)' — a gem-name; wPronounced ON-iks▶Piercen#8142 in the U.S.An elaboration of Pierce/Pierson — from Piers (a medieval form of Peter, Greek 'rock; stone'), with the -Pronounced PEER-sen▶Peterson#8772 in the U.S.A patronymic surname — 'the son of Peter' (Peter, from the Greek petros, 'a rock/stone'); we note the surPronounced PEE-ter-sun▶Porfirio#8776 in the U.S.From the Spanish Porfirio (Greek Porphyrios) — from porphyra, 'purple; porphyry (a purple stone)' (a coloPronounced por-FEE-ree-oh▶Anyx#9006 in the U.S.A stylized spelling of Onyx — from the Greek onyx, 'a claw/fingernail', the name of the banded black gemsPronounced ON-iks▶Pieter#9627 in the U.S.A Dutch form of Peter — from the Greek petros, 'a rock; a stone'Pronounced PEE-ter▶Pedrito#10614 in the U.S.A Spanish diminutive of Pedro, from the Greek Petros, 'rock; stone' — so 'little Pedro; little rock.' WarPronounced peh-DREE-toh▶Johnpeter#11553 in the U.S.A joined double name written as one word: John ('God is gracious') plus Peter (Greek, 'rock; stone'). A cPronounced jon-PEE-tur▶Creg#11694 in the U.S.Creg sits between two distinct names in spelling: Craig, from the Scottish Gaelic creag meaning 'rock, crPronounced KREG▶Piotr#11780 in the U.S.Piotr is the standard Polish form of Peter, which comes from the Greek petros, meaning 'rock' or 'stone'.Pronounced PYAWTR▶Pedrohenrique#13650 in the U.S.Pedrohenrique runs together Pedro and Henrique, a hugely popular Brazilian double name. Pedro is the PortPronounced PED-roh-en-REE-kee▶Onnyx#13659 in the U.S.A modern respelling of Onyx — the banded black stone, from Greek onyx, 'claw; fingernail,' after the stonPronounced ON-iks▶Peder#13743 in the U.S.Peder is the Danish and Norwegian form of Peter, from the Greek petros, meaning rock or stone, the name JPronounced PAY-der▶Simonpeter#13793 in the U.S.A compound name joining Simon ('he has heard') and Peter ('rock'). Simon Peter was the chief apostle in tPronounced sy-mun-PEE-tur▶Siren#13897 in the U.S.From the Sirens of Greek myth — sea-creatures whose singing lured sailors onto the rocks — by way of the Pronounced SYE-run▶

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Frequently Asked

What does Peter mean, and why does it show up so often on this list?

Peter comes from the Greek petros, meaning stone, and its many forms — Pedro, Pierre, Pietro — are all the same rock-solid meaning translated into a different language.

Is Onyx really a name that means rock?

Yes — Onyx is a gemstone name meaning 'black stone,' part of the modern trend of mineral names for boys, though it doesn't share Peter's Greek root the way most of this list does.

Which name on this list is the most unusual?

Jeanpierre stands out as the most unusual name here — a French compound joining Jean, meaning 'God is gracious,' with Pierre, meaning 'rock,' so it carries two distinct meanings layered into one name.