Alan vs Peter
Alan and Petercompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.
Head to head
Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 1983, Alan was ranked #100 and Peter #13 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Boys
In 1988, Alan was ranked #98 and Peter #30 among boys in New Zealand.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2023, Alan was ranked #348 and Peter #132 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Alan was ranked #232 and Peter #152 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Alan was ranked #274 and Peter #174 among boys in Norway.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Alan was ranked #352 and Peter #181 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Alan was ranked #592 and Peter #286 among boys in England and Wales.
Alan and Peter over time
Alan and Peter appear together in 6 published lists, across 256 years of shared records. Peter held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Alan in 1.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Peter reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, Alan in 2. Each position is a place inside its own list, so this compares when they peaked and never how high.
Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.
How this pair is related
The relationship kinds these two qualify for, each under its own stated rule. Every one is drawn from a list they both appear in.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Alan and Peter changed places 4 times in England and Wales · Boys between 1996 and 2024, ending at #592 and #286.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 32 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Boys, Alan and Peter averaged 54.8 places apart, ending at #100 and #13.
- Longest-running competitions
Alan and Peter were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 32 years, from 1952 to 1983, ending at #100 and #13.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Alan #163 in 1996, Peter #59 in 1996.
List by list
Norway · Boys72 shared years, 1946–2025
Alan held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Peter in 72.
Highest recorded here: Alan #184 in 2015, Peter #72 in 1987.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Alan #274, Peter #174.
Republic of Ireland · Boys62 shared years, 1964–2025
Alan held the stronger position in 34 of those years, Peter in 27.
Highest recorded here: Alan #9 in 1975, Peter #13 in 1964.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Alan #232, Peter #152.
New Zealand · Boys34 shared years, 1954–1988
Alan held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Peter in 34.
Highest recorded here: Alan #15 in 1954, Peter #1 in 1956.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1988: Alan #98, Peter #30.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys32 shared years, 1952–1983
Alan held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Peter in 32.
Highest recorded here: Alan #27 in 1953, Peter #1 in 1954.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1983: Alan #100, Peter #13.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Alan held the stronger position in 3 of those years, Peter in 26.
Highest recorded here: Alan #163 in 1996, Peter #59 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Alan #592, Peter #286.
Northern Ireland · Boys27 shared years, 1997–2023
Alan held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Peter in 27.
Highest recorded here: Alan #107 in 1999, Peter #22 in 1998.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Alan #348, Peter #132.
Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.
Side by side
| Field | Alan | Peter |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Exact meaning uncertain — possibly Brythonic for 'little rock', or from the tribal name of the Alans, an Iranian people who migrated into Europe in the 4th-5th centuries. Used in Brittany from at least the 6th century, brought to England by Breton settlers after the Norman Conquest. | From Greek Petros ('stone'), a translation of the Aramaic Cephas, the name Jesus gave to the apostle Simon. |
| Origin | Uncertain (Brythonic or Alan-tribal) | Greek/Aramaic, biblical |
| Pronunciation | /ˈæl.ən/ | /ˈpit.əɹ/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #232 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #152 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Alan is recorded with a Uncertain (Brythonic or Alan-tribal) origin, while Peter is recorded with a Greek/Aramaic, biblical origin.
- Alan and Peter both have 2 syllables.
- Alan's recorded meaning differs from Peter's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ.
How each name got here
Alan
Popularity journey
First recorded1946
First recorded at #253 among boys in Norway in 1946 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #9 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1975 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #274 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys
Peter
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #106 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1952–2006
Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1954 (recorded 1952–2006).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #174 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys