Ben vs Peter
Ben 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.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Ben was ranked #40 and Peter #152 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2007, Ben was ranked #56 and Peter #94 among boys in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2004, Ben was ranked #99 and Peter #69 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Ben was ranked #121 and Peter #181 among boys in Scotland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Ben was ranked #125 and Peter #164 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Norway · Boys
In 2023, Ben was ranked #355 and Peter #130 among boys in Norway.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Ben was ranked #509 and Peter #286 among boys in England and Wales.
Ben and Peter over time
Ben and Peter appear together in 6 published lists, across 219 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
The order between them changed and held in 4 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Peter reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 5 of those lists, Ben in 1. 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.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2016, Peter moved ahead of Ben in England and Wales · Boys — #165 and #177 the year before became #206 and #188.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 26 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Boys, Ben and Peter averaged 37.2 places apart, ending at #99 and #69.
- Longest-running competitions
Ben and Peter were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 65 years, from 1950 to 2023, ending at #355 and #130.
List by list
Norway · Boys65 shared years, 1950–2023
Ben held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Peter in 65.
Highest recorded here: Ben #233 in 1965, Peter #72 in 1987.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Ben #355, Peter #130.
Republic of Ireland · Boys47 shared years, 1978–2025
Ben held the stronger position in 27 of those years, Peter in 20.
Highest recorded here: Ben #14 in 2005, Peter #17 in 1979.
The order changed in 1999: Ben moved ahead. In 1998 they stood at #48 and #42; by 1999 that had become #38 and #48.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ben #40, Peter #152.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Ben held the stronger position in 19 of those years, Peter in 10.
Highest recorded here: Ben #21 in 2002, Peter #59 in 1996.
The order changed in 2016: Peter moved ahead. In 2015 they stood at #165 and #177; by 2016 that had become #206 and #188.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ben #509, Peter #286.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Ben held the stronger position in 24 of those years, Peter in 4.
Highest recorded here: Ben #6 in 2004, Peter #22 in 1998.
The order changed in 2024: Ben moved ahead. In 2023 they stood at #145 and #132; by 2024 that had become #125 and #164.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ben #125, Peter #164.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys26 shared years, 1976–2004
Ben held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Peter in 26.
Highest recorded here: Ben #41 in 1981, Peter #10 in 1978.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2004: Ben #99, Peter #69.
New Zealand · Boys24 shared years, 1981–2007
Ben held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Peter in 16.
Highest recorded here: Ben #42 in 2004, Peter #20 in 1981.
The order changed in 1997: Ben moved ahead. In 1996 they stood at #90 and #59; by 1997 that had become #63 and #69.
Most recent shared year, 2007: Ben #56, Peter #94.
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 | Ben | Peter |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | A short form of Benjamin, Benedict and other names beginning with 'Ben'; in Dutch, can also be short for Bernhard. | From Greek Petros ('stone'), a translation of the Aramaic Cephas, the name Jesus gave to the apostle Simon. |
| Origin | Hebrew/Germanic, short form | Greek/Aramaic, biblical |
| Pronunciation | /ˈbɛn/ | /ˈpit.əɹ/ |
| Syllables | 1 | 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 #40 (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
- Ben is recorded with a Hebrew/Germanic, short form origin, while Peter is recorded with a Greek/Aramaic, biblical origin.
- Ben has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Peter.
- Ben'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
Ben
Popularity journey
First recorded1950
First recorded at #376 among boys in Norway in 1950 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1997–2024
Highest recorded position: #6 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2004 (recorded 1997–2024).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #40 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · 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