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Cephas or Kephas does directly translate to petros - not to Petra.

I'm curious as to what's your evidence for saying that? I'm not a Semiticist, but from what I've heard the semantic range of Aramaic Kephas would include any and all of those putative variations.

My point is as follows. To say that Christ was making some kind of theological point between petros "pebble of Peter"/petra "rock of faith" loses all of its force when Christ actually named him "Kephas". Far more consonant with John 1:42 is that the gender of petra was simply revised to reflect the gender of Peter when his name was translated to Greek. And really the whole rest of the passage describes a grant of authority to a single person being addressed: "soi".

Well, first of all, to call someone a "piece of rock" in the greek looses something in the translation. The modern equivalent would be "chip off the old block". There is nothing diminishing about it.

Christ named him Kephas/Kepha (hollow rock - translated petros - piece of rock.) To get a petros, it must fracture loose from a petra. Just as to get lithos, it must fracture free from either petra or petros. Lithos would be pebbles - to correct you if I may. Petros is larger than pebbles by quite a bit; but, is still loose rock. And as it must fracture from Petra to become petros - chip off the [old] block - or mountain as it were..

The theological point is that Christ is literally saying, you may be a chip off the block; but, I'm founding my church on the block. This is both instructive and a play on words.. Christ showing humor. The passage doesn't show a grant of authority to a single person. Thee is singular or plural. And given that the use of the keys is demonstrated boldly by Paul in the acts about chapter 9 or 10 if memory serves (it's late), without knowledge or leave from Peter to so do, it cannot then be said that Peter alone was given the keys. Nor can it be said Peter alone was given authority to bind and loose. This authority is given in this chapter and verse, yet the others plainly are stated as having it. It doesn't mean Jesus handed down at different times. When he said Thee, he was speaking to the group, not merely to Peter. The problem is that all the apostles demonstrate use of these two things all through scripture after this event. And it isn't by the leave of Peter. When Paul was commissioned, he had yet to meet Peter. When Paul opened the doors of the kingdom to the Gentiles, he still hadn't met Peter. He was given his authority, office and direction by Christ - not Peter. This is the difference between knowing what you were taught and knowing scripture I'm sorry to say. I don't know who taught you; but, you and scripture are in clear contradiction of one another.