Interesting name, Simon. In the USA it appeared in birth certificates about 0.084 percent of the population in 1888, it fell off that all time high to 0.009 percent by 1958 as an all time low, but, oddly it didn't disappear. The name Simon returned over the decades to 0.080 percent of the USA population in 2013.
The name Peter was found in the USA nearly a complete half percent up to it's pinnacle of 1957 of 0.530 percent, but, from there it's popularity has dwindled to 0.092 percent of the USA population.
Depending on the readings St. Peter was referred to as Simon Peter. I think it was just the pleasure of the author rather than reality. Jesus gave him the name Peter. Peter means rock. It was suppose to indicate a superior name to that of Simon. He would become the "Head of the Church." Not the founder, that was Paul. I should write a little more about Paul. He wasn't exactly an apostle. He was a follower and a Rome originally named Saul. But, later.
Peter was no different than many fishermen that earned a living in the same method as 'share cropping' in the USA. He was also relatively young as most of the Apostles that lived much longer than Jesus did.
An interesting thing about Jesus, referred to by Peter as 'the christ,' his life was mostly private without a great deal of fanfare until he began to recruit men to his teachings. He was a Rabbi, therefore, a teacher. No one actually has writings by Jesus so much as writings by others with their experience with him. Jesus did not write as a Rabbi, he spoke. The Torah has a spoken component called Torah Shebichtav. The only reason I point to this is because teaching without writing is a rabbinical tradition. Writing is more personal and a record, but, speaking is in the communal tradition of the Jewish faith. Why write when it was people in larger numbers he was trying to reach. Most commoners would not necessarily know how to read. I just find that a point of interest in understanding Jesus and his relationship with others. He never expected to be a star performer, so much as a reformer who's example could be made to be an example of the faith of a Jewish Rabbi prepared to die professing a single deity. I think he was very dedicated to teaching his faith and to that end was martyred on a cross.
Jesus wanted to bring everyone the faith of monotheism. Peter in being the dead of the church has successors. Those successors are Popes of the Roman Catholic Church. Pope Francis is a successor to St. Peter. The Popes are also "Shepards of the Universal Church" and "Bishop of Rome. St. Peter's tomb lies under the basilica in Rome. The largest church in the world is Patriarchal Basilica of St. Peter located next to the Vatican. It is this basilica that all Catholic functions of world wide importance are conducted, such as canonizations.
So, St. Peter is a very big deal. He is pivotal. He is the one true follower that would be crucified for his beliefs. It would later be the Roman Emperor Constantine (A.D. 664 – 9 April 715) that built the first Roman Catholic basilica at the very place of Peter's crucifixion. He would be martyred in Rome under Nero's rule as emperor (A.D. 54-68). Here again we are seeing apostles of Jesus actively involved in their own ministries during the A.D. 50s to 60s. So, there is a great deal of consistency throughout the books of the Bible regarding 'the time' of 'the church.'
In his teachings, Peter would consider Jesus the living god. From the beginning of his life the name Jesus meant savior. Forty days after his birth he would be anointed in the temple as 'the christ,' the Anointed one of God, the Messias. That is basically all the history of Jesus Christ as a child, except, his parents fled to Egypt to avoid Herod's demonic massacre of Jewish infants. It was after Herod's death that the family returned and there is one more reference of Jesus in the temple at the age of 12 discussing worldly issues with what were considered Doctors. But, then he sort of disappears until he is an adult and began his teachings. His teaching lasted all of three years. Then he is martyred in crucifixion.
But, as to Peter, he is also considered Prince of the Apostles. Peter is also married, yet he never writes about his marriage or his wife. As a matter of fact, the wives of any of the apostles are hardly ever mentioned, if at all. The Apostles don't really write about themselves. The only time an Apostle writes exclusively about himself is in Revelations when John has a dream. He writes about the dream of symbolism. Most if the apostles write through the eyes of an observer, rarely reflecting on their own understandings.
