Feminine form of Peter, from Greek 'petros' meaning 'rock' or 'stone'.
Petra is the feminine form of Peter, and both names go back to the Greek petra, meaning "rock" or "stone." Behind the Greek lies a broader ancient world of symbolic language in which rock suggested firmness, endurance, and reliability. In Christian tradition the related masculine form became central through Saint Peter, but Petra developed its own life across Europe, especially in Slavic, Germanic, and Scandinavian languages.
Its sound is crisp and elemental, and its meaning gives it a natural sense of steadiness. The name’s most famous cultural echo is the ancient city of Petra in Jordan, whose rose-colored facades carved into stone have made the word itself almost synonymous with beauty hewn from rock. Although the city’s name comes through Greek usage, that association has given Petra a rare double resonance: both personal and monumental.
Historical bearers include women across central and eastern Europe, and in modern times the name has appeared in sports, literature, and politics, especially in countries such as Germany, the Czech Republic, Croatia, and the Netherlands. Petra’s image has evolved interestingly. In some eras it felt plainly traditional, almost practical; in more recent decades it has come to seem international, sculptural, and stylish.
English speakers often hear it as elegant and uncommon without being difficult to recognize. Literary audiences may also think of Petra in works of European fiction and drama, where the name often belongs to intelligent, forceful women. It is a name that manages to be feminine without fragility: grounded, ancient, and quietly powerful, like the meaning it has carried for centuries.