Paul vs Peter
Paul 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 1998, Paul was ranked #86 and Peter #61 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Boys
In 1998, Paul was ranked #86 and Peter #85 among boys in New Zealand.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Paul was ranked #286 and Peter #152 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Paul was ranked #278 and Peter #164 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Paul was ranked #290 and Peter #181 among boys in Scotland.
Norway · Boys
In 2024, Paul was ranked #370 and Peter #204 among boys in Norway.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Paul was ranked #586 and Peter #286 among boys in England and Wales.
Paul and Peter over time
Paul and Peter appear together in 6 published lists, across 289 years of shared records. Peter held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Paul 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 3 of those lists, Paul in 2. 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 1978, Peter moved ahead of Paul in Norway · Boys — #118 and #122 the year before became #129 and #99.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Paul and Peter changed places 4 times in New Zealand · Boys between 1954 and 1998, ending at #86 and #85.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 46 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Boys, Paul and Peter averaged 8.3 places apart, ending at #86 and #61.
- Longest-running competitions
Paul and Peter were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 46 years, from 1952 to 1998, ending at #86 and #61.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Paul #72 in 1996, Peter #59 in 1996.
List by list
Norway · Boys80 shared years, 1945–2024
Paul held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Peter in 51.
Highest recorded here: Paul #67 in 1946, Peter #72 in 1987.
The order changed in 1978: Peter moved ahead. In 1977 they stood at #118 and #122; by 1978 that had become #129 and #99.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Paul #370, Peter #204.
Republic of Ireland · Boys62 shared years, 1964–2025
Paul held the stronger position in 42 of those years, Peter in 19.
Highest recorded here: Paul #3 in 1978, Peter #13 in 1964.
The order changed in 2006: Peter moved ahead. In 2005 they stood at #54 and #64; by 2006 that had become #62 and #62.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Paul #286, Peter #152.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys46 shared years, 1952–1998
Paul held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Peter in 36.
Highest recorded here: Paul #4 in 1966, Peter #1 in 1954.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1998: Paul #86, Peter #61.
New Zealand · Boys44 shared years, 1954–1998
Paul held the stronger position in 24 of those years, Peter in 20.
Highest recorded here: Paul #3 in 1965, Peter #1 in 1956.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1998: Paul #86, Peter #85.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Paul held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Peter in 29.
Highest recorded here: Paul #72 in 1996, Peter #59 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Paul #586, Peter #286.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Paul held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Peter in 28.
Highest recorded here: Paul #27 in 1997, Peter #22 in 1998.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Paul #278, 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 | Paul | Peter |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | From the Roman name Paulus, meaning 'small' in Latin. Saint Paul, originally named Saul, converted to Christianity and became a key missionary figure, authoring several New Testament epistles. | From Greek Petros ('stone'), a translation of the Aramaic Cephas, the name Jesus gave to the apostle Simon. |
| Origin | Latin | Greek/Aramaic, biblical |
| Pronunciation | /ˈpɔːl/ | /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 #286 (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
- Paul is recorded with a Latin origin, while Peter is recorded with a Greek/Aramaic, biblical origin.
- Paul has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Peter.
- Paul'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
Paul
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #73 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1954–1998
Highest recorded position: #3 among boys in New Zealand, in 1965 (recorded 1954–1998).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #286 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · 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