Mark vs Peter
Mark 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 2001, Mark was ranked #90 and Peter #66 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2000, Mark was ranked #89 and Peter #80 among boys in New Zealand.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Mark was ranked #99 and Peter #152 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Mark was ranked #177 and Peter #164 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Mark was ranked #169 and Peter #181 among boys in Scotland.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Mark was ranked #286 and Peter #174 among boys in Norway.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Mark was ranked #277 and Peter #286 among boys in England and Wales.
Mark and Peter over time
Mark and Peter appear together in 6 published lists, across 289 years of shared records. Peter held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Mark in 2.
The order between them changed and held in 2 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, Mark 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 2018, Peter moved ahead of Mark in Northern Ireland · Boys — #114 and #140 the year before became #178 and #114.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Mark and Peter changed places 4 times in England and Wales · Boys between 1996 and 2024, ending at #277 and #286.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Mark and Peter averaged 27.0 places apart, ending at #277 and #286.
- Longest-running competitions
Mark and Peter were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 50 years, from 1952 to 2001, ending at #90 and #66.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Mark #55 in 1996, Peter #59 in 1996.
List by list
Norway · Boys74 shared years, 1950–2025
Mark held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Peter in 74.
Highest recorded here: Mark #211 in 1970, Peter #72 in 1987.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Mark #286, Peter #174.
Republic of Ireland · Boys62 shared years, 1964–2025
Mark held the stronger position in 57 of those years, Peter in 5.
Highest recorded here: Mark #7 in 1974, Peter #13 in 1964.
The order changed in 2023: Mark moved ahead. In 2022 they stood at #121 and #108; by 2023 that had become #75 and #130.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Mark #99, Peter #152.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys50 shared years, 1952–2001
Mark held the stronger position in 17 of those years, Peter in 33.
Highest recorded here: Mark #2 in 1960, Peter #1 in 1954.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2001: Mark #90, Peter #66.
New Zealand · Boys46 shared years, 1954–2000
Mark held the stronger position in 27 of those years, Peter in 19.
Highest recorded here: Mark #2 in 1974, Peter #1 in 1956.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2000: Mark #89, Peter #80.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Mark held the stronger position in 4 of those years, Peter in 25.
Highest recorded here: Mark #55 in 1996, Peter #59 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Mark #277, Peter #286.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Mark held the stronger position in 14 of those years, Peter in 14.
Highest recorded here: Mark #12 in 1999, Peter #22 in 1998.
The order changed in 2018: Peter moved ahead. In 2017 they stood at #114 and #140; by 2018 that had become #178 and #114.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Mark #177, 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 | Mark | Peter |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | A form of the Latin name Marcus used in several languages. Saint Mark authored the second Gospel and is patron saint of Venice. | From Greek Petros ('stone'), a translation of the Aramaic Cephas, the name Jesus gave to the apostle Simon. |
| Origin | Latin | Greek/Aramaic, biblical |
| Pronunciation | /ˈmɑɹk/ | /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 #99 (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
- Mark is recorded with a Latin origin, while Peter is recorded with a Greek/Aramaic, biblical origin.
- Mark has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Peter.
- Mark'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
Mark
Popularity journey
First recorded1950
First recorded at #362 among boys in Norway in 1950 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1952–2001
Highest recorded position: #2 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1960 (recorded 1952–2001).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #286 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