Gary vs Peter
Gary and Peter compared 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 1984, Gary was ranked #88 and Peter #16 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Boys
In 1981, Gary was ranked #94 and Peter #20 among boys in New Zealand.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Gary was ranked #785 and Peter #132 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2022, Gary was ranked #352 and Peter #177 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Gary was ranked #619 and Peter #181 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2025, Gary was ranked #3256 and Peter #287 among boys in England and Wales.
Gary and Peter over time
Higher on the chart is a stronger position. The scale is logarithmic, so the gap from #1 to #10 is drawn as large as the gap from #100 to #1,000.
Higher on the chart is a stronger position. The scale is logarithmic, so the gap from #1 to #10 is drawn as large as the gap from #100 to #1,000.
Gary and Peter over time
Gary and Peter appear together in 5 published lists, across 166 years of shared records. Peter held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Gary in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Gary reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Peter 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Gary and Peter changed places 6 times in Republic of Ireland · Boys between 1964 and 2024, ending at #785 and #132.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 31 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Boys, Gary and Peter averaged 37.7 places apart, ending at #88 and #16.
- Longest-running competitions
Gary and Peter were both ranked in England and Wales · Boys for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #3256 and #287.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Gary #147 in 1996, Peter #59 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys60 shared years, 1964–2024
Gary held the stronger position in 5 of those years, Peter in 55.
Highest recorded here: Gary #25 in 1991, Peter #13 in 1964.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Gary #785, Peter #132.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys31 shared years, 1952–1984
Gary held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Peter in 31.
Highest recorded here: Gary #8 in 1952, Peter #1 in 1954.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1984: Gary #88, Peter #16.
England and Wales · Boys30 shared years, 1996–2025
Gary held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Peter in 30.
Highest recorded here: Gary #147 in 1996, Peter #59 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Gary #3256, Peter #287.
New Zealand · Boys25 shared years, 1954–1981
Gary held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Peter in 25.
Highest recorded here: Gary #19 in 1956, Peter #1 in 1956.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1981: Gary #94, Peter #20.
Northern Ireland · Boys20 shared years, 1997–2022
Gary held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Peter in 20.
Highest recorded here: Gary #57 in 1997, Peter #22 in 1998.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2022: Gary #352, Peter #177.
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 | Gary | Peter |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | An English surname originally a short form of Norman given names beginning with the Old German element 'ger' ('spear'). Adopted as a stage name by actor Gary Cooper, after Gary, Indiana. | From Greek Petros ('stone'), a translation of the Aramaic Cephas, the name Jesus gave to the apostle Simon. |
| Origin | Germanic (surname origin) | Greek/Aramaic, biblical |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɡæɹ.i/ | /ˈpit.əɹ/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | New South Wales, Australia, England and Wales, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Republic of Ireland, New Zealand | New South Wales, Australia, England and Wales, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Republic of Ireland, Norway, New Zealand |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Boys #3256 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #152 (2025) |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Gary is recorded with a Germanic (surname origin) origin, while Peter is recorded with a Greek/Aramaic, biblical origin.
- Gary and Peter both have 2 syllables.
- Gary'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, NZ.
How each name got here
Gary
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #8 among boys in New South Wales, Australia in 1952 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Highest recorded1952–1984
Highest recorded position: #8 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1952 (recorded 1952–1984).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #3256 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · 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 #287 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Boys