Namewise

Keith vs Peter

Keith 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.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Boys

    In 1969, Keith was ranked #97 and Peter #6 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.

  • New Zealand · Boys

    In 1967, Keith was ranked #81 and Peter #8 among boys in New Zealand.

  • Northern Ireland · Boys

    In 2010, Keith was ranked #339 and Peter #72 among boys in Northern Ireland.

  • Republic of Ireland · Boys

    In 2025, Keith was ranked #577 and Peter #152 among boys in Republic of Ireland.

  • England and Wales · Boys

    In 2024, Keith was ranked #3688 and Peter #286 among boys in England and Wales.

Keith and Peter over time

Keith and Peter appear together in 5 published lists, across 132 years of shared records. Peter held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Keith in 0.

In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.

Keith reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 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

    Keith and Peter changed places 6 times in Republic of Ireland · Boys between 1964 and 2025, ending at #577 and #152.

  • Longest-running competitions

    Keith and Peter were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 59 years, from 1964 to 2025, ending at #577 and #152.

  • Peaked in the same years

    Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Keith #379 in 1996, Peter #59 in 1996.

List by list

  • Republic of Ireland · Boys59 shared years, 19642025

    Keith held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Peter in 49.

    Highest recorded here: Keith #17 in 1975, Peter #13 in 1964.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Keith #577, Peter #152.

  • England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 19962024

    Keith held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Peter in 29.

    Highest recorded here: Keith #379 in 1996, Peter #59 in 1996.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Keith #3688, Peter #286.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Boys18 shared years, 19521969

    Keith held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Peter in 18.

    Highest recorded here: Keith #40 in 1952, Peter #1 in 1954.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 1969: Keith #97, Peter #6.

  • New Zealand · Boys14 shared years, 19541967

    Keith held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Peter in 14.

    Highest recorded here: Keith #33 in 1954, Peter #1 in 1956.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 1967: Keith #81, Peter #8.

  • Northern Ireland · Boys12 shared years, 19972010

    Keith held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Peter in 12.

    Highest recorded here: Keith #143 in 1997, Peter #22 in 1998.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2010: Keith #339, Peter #72.

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

Side-by-side comparison of Keith, Peter
FieldKeithPeter
Record typeOfficial statistical record (evidence-only)Editorially researched profile
Gender usagemalemale
MeaningNot yet recordedFrom Greek Petros ('stone'), a translation of the Aramaic Cephas, the name Jesus gave to the apostle Simon.
OriginNot yet recordedGreek/Aramaic, biblical
PronunciationNot yet recorded/ˈpit.əɹ/
Syllables12
Common variants / nicknamesNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
Recorded regional usageAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ
Most recent popularity observationRepublic of Ireland · Boys #577 (2025)Republic of Ireland · Boys #152 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)Not yet recorded90/100
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)94/10094/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)100/100100/100
Data Confidencemediummedium

What the data shows

  • Peter has a recorded origin (Greek/Aramaic, biblical); Keith does not have one recorded yet.
  • Keith has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Peter.
  • A meaning is recorded for Peter; Keith doesn't have one written yet.
  • Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ.

How each name got here

Keith

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1952

    First recorded at #40 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

  2. Highest recorded1964–2025

    Highest recorded position: #17 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1975 (recorded 1964–2025).

    Republic of Ireland · Boys

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #577 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.

    Republic of Ireland · Boys

Peter

Popularity journey

  1. 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

  2. Highest recorded1952–2006

    Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1954 (recorded 1952–2006).

    New South Wales, Australia · Boys

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #174 among boys in Norway, in 2025.

    Norway · Boys