Herman vs Peter
Herman 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.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Herman was ranked #20 and Peter #174 among boys in Norway.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2018, Herman was ranked #4749 and Peter #196 among boys in England and Wales.
Herman and Peter over time
Herman and Peter appear together in 1 published list, across 76 years of shared records. Peter held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Herman in 0.
The order between them changed and held in one 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 1 of those lists, and Herman in none. 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 1995, Herman moved ahead of Peter in Norway · Boys — #105 and #96 the year before became #102 and #124.
- Mirrored each other
Over 76 shared years in Norway · Boys, Herman rose about as far as Peter fell — from #212 and #106 in 1945 to #20 and #174 in 2025.
- Longest-running competitions
Herman and Peter were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 76 years, from 1945 to 2025, ending at #20 and #174.
List by list
Norway · Boys76 shared years, 1945–2025
Herman held the stronger position in 31 of those years, Peter in 45.
Highest recorded here: Herman #20 in 2025, Peter #72 in 1987.
The order changed in 1995: Herman moved ahead. In 1994 they stood at #105 and #96; by 1995 that had become #102 and #124.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Herman #20, Peter #174.
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 | Herman | Peter |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | From Greek Petros ('stone'), a translation of the Aramaic Cephas, the name Jesus gave to the apostle Simon. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Greek/Aramaic, biblical |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ˈpit.əɹ/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, NO | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Boys #20 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #152 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 60/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Peter has a recorded origin (Greek/Aramaic, biblical); Herman does not have one recorded yet.
- Herman and Peter both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Peter; Herman doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, NO.
How each name got here
Herman
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #212 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1945–2025
Highest recorded position: #20 among boys in Norway, in 2025 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #20 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