Per

/P-EH-R/

Boy Christian Swedish origin SwedishScandinavian

Rock — the most compressed Scandinavian form of Peter, from Greek Petros, stripped of every suffix. Though used across Norway and Denmark, the single syllable Per is iconically Swedish, borne by a Nobel-honoured Swedish writer. A lean, sturdy Nordic Christian name reducing the apostle's name of stone to its barest essence.

See Per scored for your family

Meaning & origin

Per is a boy's name of Swedish origin, traditionally used in Christian families. The name means "Rock — the most compressed Scandinavian form of Peter, from Greek Petros, stripped of every suffix. Though used across Norway and Denmark, the single syllable Per is iconically Swedish, borne by a Nobel-honoured Swedish writer. A lean, sturdy Nordic Christian name reducing the apostle's name of stone to its barest essence." and belongs to the Nature cluster — names drawn from the natural world — earth, water, sky.

Common among Swedish, Scandinavian families, Per carries cultural weight that goes beyond its dictionary definition — it's a name with a story and a community.

Numerology of Per

Numerology assigns each name a single-digit destiny number by summing its letter values. Different schools use different mappings — NameRoot computes both so you can see how Per resonates in either tradition.

Pythagorean
3
creativity and joyful expression
Chaldean
6
nurturing and family devotion

How Per sounds

NameRoot scores the phonetic fit of every name against the sound of your last name. The pronunciation of Per breaks down into 3 phonemes: /P-EH-R/. In the app, you'll see how those sounds flow with your family name across rhythm, stress, and consonant clusters.

The six signals, applied to Per

NameRoot scores every name across six independent dimensions. Here's how Per maps to each — install the app to see the full compatibility score for your specific family.

01 — Birth Star
Nakshatra match
Enter your baby's birth date in the app and we'll compute the nakshatra compatibility score.
02 — Numerology
Destiny alignment
Pythagorean and Chaldean life-path calculations (destiny 3) matched against your family's own numerology profile.
03 — Phonetics
Last-name fit
Rhythm, stress, and consonant clusters measured with IPA to see how Per flows with your family name.
04 — Meaning
Nature
Per belongs to the Nature cluster — names drawn from the natural world — earth, water, sky.
05 — Cultural & Tradition
Christian
As a Christian name, Per carries religious and cultural weight scored against your family's heritage — plus grandparent-name matches, saint's-day alignment, and generational naming patterns scored against your family tree.
06 — Uniqueness
Popularity balance
How common Per is today versus historically — finding the sweet spot between familiar and forgotten.

Names similar to Per

If Per resonates with you, these names live in the same world — drawn from the same tradition, sharing the same meaning, or echoing a similar sound.

From the same tradition

Other Christian boy names, common in Swedish families

Erik
Eternal ruler, the sovereign who governs across ages — Erik is the name of kings who united Scandinavia, of the Viking who reached North America five centuries before Columbus, and of saints who built the Swedish church. It carries the long view of Norse kingship, the belief that legitimate rule is not seized but earned across generations, and the navigational daring of a culture that crossed oceans in open boats
Alfred
Elf counsel, wise advisor — Alfred is an Old English name combining aelf (elf) with raed (counsel). King Alfred the Great of Wessex resisted the Viking invasions in the ninth century.
Ludvig
Famous warrior — the Scandinavian form of Ludwig, name of Swedish kings and the composer Beethoven
Johannes
God is gracious — the long Latin form of John, ubiquitous across Lutheran Scandinavia

Sharing the same meaning

Other Christian boy names from the Nature cluster

George
Farmer, earth worker — the patron saint of England, the name of six kings, and Prince George of Cambridge. England's defining name.
Mason
Stone worker, builder in brick or dressed stone.
Logan
Little hollow, from Scottish Gaelic lagan, a diminutive of lag (hollow or low-lying place). First a Highland place and surname, it crossed into given-name use and spread widely across the English-speaking world, carrying a quiet sense of sheltered land and home ground.

Names that sound similar

Christian boy names that open with the same syllables as Per

Petr
Rock — the Czech form of Peter, from Greek Petros, the name the apostle received from Christ. Distinctly Czech in dropping the final vowel, Petr instead of Peter, giving the consonant ending typical of the language. A steady, foundational Christian name across Bohemia and Moravia, evoking the firmness of stone.
Pepe
An affectionate Spanish diminutive of Jose, the Iberian form of Joseph, from Hebrew Yosef 'he will add.' The nickname is inseparable from the Philippine national hero who bore it, whose novels stirred the movement for independence, so that this familiar pet-name carries the memory of a martyr and a country's awakening.
Pedro
Rock, stone, the Spanish form of Peter, from Greek petros (stone), the name Christ gave Simon as the rock of his church. It carries that firm, foundational sense, and worn by kings and saints it became one of the most familiar names across the Spanish-speaking world.

Common questions about Per

What does the name Per mean?

Per means "Rock — the most compressed Scandinavian form of Peter, from Greek Petros, stripped of every suffix. Though used across Norway and Denmark, the single syllable Per is iconically Swedish, borne by a Nobel-honoured Swedish writer. A lean, sturdy Nordic Christian name reducing the apostle's name of stone to its barest essence.." It is a boy name of Swedish origin, traditionally used in Christian families.

Is Per a boy or girl name?

Per is most commonly used as a boy name.

What is the origin of the name Per?

Per is of Swedish origin, used in Christian tradition, commonly among Swedish, Scandinavian families.

What is the numerology of Per?

Per has a Pythagorean destiny number of 3 — creativity and joyful expression.

See how Per scores for your family

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