What did the name Peter mean in the languages spoken in the early Christian world?

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St. Peter the Apostle St. Peter the Apostle, painting by Gerardus Laurentius Keultjes, 1816; in the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam.

In the languages of the early Christian world, the name Peter signifies "rock." Jesus bestowed this title upon his disciple Simon, a name derived from the Greek Petros and the Aramaic Cephas, both of which carry the same meaning.12

While some historical interpretations have debated whether the title referred to Peter's faith or to Jesus himself, the prevailing scholarly consensus is that the name refers directly to the person of Peter, signifying his foundational role in the community of the faithful.2