David vs Peter
David 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, David was ranked #45 and Peter #152 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2007, David was ranked #53 and Peter #94 among boys in New Zealand.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, David was ranked #64 and Peter #286 among boys in England and Wales.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2006, David was ranked #64 and Peter #83 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, David was ranked #71 and Peter #181 among boys in Scotland.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, David was ranked #88 and Peter #174 among boys in Norway.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, David was ranked #104 and Peter #164 among boys in Northern Ireland.
David and Peter over time
David and Peter appear together in 6 published lists, across 306 years of shared records. David held the stronger position in more years in 6 of them, Peter in 0.
The order between them changed and held in 2 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 4 of those lists, David 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 2004, David moved ahead of Peter in New South Wales, Australia · Boys — #66 and #60 the year before became #61 and #69.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 55 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Boys, David and Peter averaged 9.6 places apart, ending at #64 and #83.
- Longest-running competitions
David and Peter were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 55 years, from 1952 to 2006, ending at #64 and #83.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — David #32 in 1996, Peter #59 in 1996.
List by list
Norway · Boys81 shared years, 1945–2025
David held the stronger position in 53 of those years, Peter in 28.
Highest recorded here: David #31 in 2005, Peter #72 in 1987.
The order changed in 1976: David moved ahead. In 1975 they stood at #93 and #85; by 1976 that had become #87 and #125.
Most recent shared year, 2025: David #88, Peter #174.
Republic of Ireland · Boys62 shared years, 1964–2025
David held the stronger position in 62 of those years, Peter in 0.
Highest recorded here: David #1 in 1985, Peter #13 in 1964.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: David #45, Peter #152.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys55 shared years, 1952–2006
David held the stronger position in 45 of those years, Peter in 10.
Highest recorded here: David #1 in 1961, Peter #1 in 1954.
The order changed in 2004: David moved ahead. In 2003 they stood at #66 and #60; by 2004 that had become #61 and #69.
Most recent shared year, 2006: David #64, Peter #83.
New Zealand · Boys51 shared years, 1954–2007
David held the stronger position in 46 of those years, Peter in 5.
Highest recorded here: David #1 in 1960, Peter #1 in 1956.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2007: David #53, Peter #94.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
David held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Peter in 0.
Highest recorded here: David #32 in 1996, Peter #59 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: David #64, Peter #286.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
David held the stronger position in 28 of those years, Peter in 0.
Highest recorded here: David #9 in 1997, Peter #22 in 1998.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: David #104, Peter #164.
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 | David | Peter |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Commonly interpreted as 'beloved', with a possible secondary sense of 'uncle' for the root. | From Greek Petros ('stone'), a translation of the Aramaic Cephas, the name Jesus gave to the apostle Simon. |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew | Greek/Aramaic, biblical |
| Pronunciation | /ˈdeɪvɪd/ | /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 #45 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #152 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- David is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew origin, while Peter is recorded with a Greek/Aramaic, biblical origin.
- David and Peter both have 2 syllables.
- David'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
David
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #167 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1952–2018
Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1961 (recorded 1952–2018).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #88 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