Finn vs Peter
Finn 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.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Finn was ranked #15 and Peter #164 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Finn was ranked #15 and Peter #152 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Finn was ranked #17 and Peter #181 among boys in Scotland.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2007, Finn was ranked #36 and Peter #94 among boys in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2005, Finn was ranked #86 and Peter #79 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Finn was ranked #83 and Peter #286 among boys in England and Wales.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Finn was ranked #153 and Peter #174 among boys in Norway.
Finn and Peter over time
Finn and Peter appear together in 4 published lists, across 179 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
The order between them changed and held in 3 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 3 of those lists, Finn 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, Finn moved ahead of Peter in England and Wales · Boys — #119 and #101 the year before became #106 and #109.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Finn and Peter changed places 4 times in Norway · Boys between 1945 and 2025, ending at #153 and #174.
- Longest-running competitions
Finn and Peter were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 81 years, from 1945 to 2025, ending at #153 and #174.
List by list
Norway · Boys81 shared years, 1945–2025
Finn held the stronger position in 31 of those years, Peter in 50.
Highest recorded here: Finn #31 in 1945, Peter #72 in 1987.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Finn #153, Peter #174.
Republic of Ireland · Boys41 shared years, 1982–2025
Finn held the stronger position in 20 of those years, Peter in 21.
Highest recorded here: Finn #6 in 2020, Peter #19 in 1982.
The order changed in 2007: Finn moved ahead. In 2006 they stood at #66 and #62; by 2007 that had become #54 and #65.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Finn #15, Peter #152.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Finn held the stronger position in 21 of those years, Peter in 8.
Highest recorded here: Finn #72 in 2021, Peter #59 in 1996.
The order changed in 2004: Finn moved ahead. In 2003 they stood at #119 and #101; by 2004 that had become #106 and #109.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Finn #83, Peter #286.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Finn held the stronger position in 18 of those years, Peter in 10.
Highest recorded here: Finn #7 in 2020, Peter #22 in 1998.
The order changed in 2007: Finn moved ahead. In 2006 they stood at #87 and #44; by 2007 that had become #62 and #69.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Finn #15, 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 | Finn | Peter |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Traditionally associated with the Irish hero Fionn mac Cumhaill; functions as the usual Anglicised spelling of the Irish name Fionn. | From Greek Petros ('stone'), a translation of the Aramaic Cephas, the name Jesus gave to the apostle Simon. |
| Origin | Irish | Greek/Aramaic, biblical |
| Pronunciation | /fɪn/ | /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 #15 (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
- Finn is recorded with a Irish origin, while Peter is recorded with a Greek/Aramaic, biblical origin.
- Finn has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Peter.
- Finn'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
Finn
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #31 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1982–2025
Highest recorded position: #6 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2020 (recorded 1982–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #52 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · 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