Jonas vs Peter
Jonas 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, Jonas was ranked #49 and Peter #174 among boys in Norway.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2023, Jonas was ranked #272 and Peter #132 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Jonas was ranked #468 and Peter #152 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Jonas was ranked #727 and Peter #181 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Jonas was ranked #691 and Peter #286 among boys in England and Wales.
Jonas and Peter over time
Jonas and Peter appear together in 4 published lists, across 138 years of shared records. Peter held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Jonas in 1.
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 4 of those lists, and Jonas 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 1981, Jonas moved ahead of Peter in Norway · Boys — #100 and #96 the year before became #67 and #86.
- Mirrored each other
Over 77 shared years in Norway · Boys, Jonas rose about as far as Peter fell — from #257 and #106 in 1945 to #49 and #174 in 2025.
- Longest-running competitions
Jonas and Peter were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 77 years, from 1945 to 2025, ending at #49 and #174.
List by list
Norway · Boys77 shared years, 1945–2025
Jonas held the stronger position in 47 of those years, Peter in 30.
Highest recorded here: Jonas #1 in 2006, Peter #72 in 1987.
The order changed in 1981: Jonas moved ahead. In 1980 they stood at #100 and #96; by 1981 that had become #67 and #86.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Jonas #49, Peter #174.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Jonas held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Peter in 29.
Highest recorded here: Jonas #422 in 2018, Peter #59 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Jonas #691, Peter #286.
Republic of Ireland · Boys20 shared years, 2005–2025
Jonas held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Peter in 20.
Highest recorded here: Jonas #313 in 2016, Peter #62 in 2006.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Jonas #468, Peter #152.
Northern Ireland · Boys12 shared years, 2009–2023
Jonas held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Peter in 12.
Highest recorded here: Jonas #215 in 2018, Peter #62 in 2011.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Jonas #272, Peter #132.
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 | Jonas | Peter |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Traditionally associated with the biblical figure Jonah; some traditions link the underlying Hebrew root to 'dove'. | From Greek Petros ('stone'), a translation of the Aramaic Cephas, the name Jesus gave to the apostle Simon. |
| Origin | Hebrew, via Greek; used in Swedish, Norwegian, Danish and German tradition | Greek/Aramaic, biblical |
| Pronunciation | /ˈjuː.nas/ | /ˈpit.əɹ/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Boys #49 (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
- Jonas is recorded with a Hebrew, via Greek; used in Swedish, Norwegian, Danish and German tradition origin, while Peter is recorded with a Greek/Aramaic, biblical origin.
- Jonas and Peter both have 2 syllables.
- Jonas's recorded meaning differs from Peter's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO.
How each name got here
Jonas
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #257 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: #1 among boys in Norway, in 2006 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #49 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