Peter vs Richard
Peter and Richardcompared 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 1997, Peter was ranked #53 and Richard #98 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Boys
In 1999, Peter was ranked #74 and Richard #81 among boys in New Zealand.
Norway · Boys
In 2023, Peter was ranked #130 and Richard #481 among boys in Norway.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Peter was ranked #152 and Richard #232 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2022, Peter was ranked #177 and Richard #311 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Peter was ranked #181 and Richard #619 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Peter was ranked #286 and Richard #398 among boys in England and Wales.
Peter and Richard over time
Peter and Richard appear together in 6 published lists, across 286 years of shared records. Peter held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Richard in 1.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Peter reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 of those lists, Richard 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
Peter and Richard changed places 4 times in New Zealand · Boys between 1954 and 1999, ending at #74 and #81.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 46 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Boys, Peter and Richard averaged 24.5 places apart, ending at #53 and #98.
- Longest-running competitions
Peter and Richard were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 46 years, from 1952 to 1997, ending at #53 and #98.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Peter #59 in 1996, Richard #62 in 1996.
List by list
Norway · Boys79 shared years, 1945–2023
Peter held the stronger position in 69 of those years, Richard in 10.
Highest recorded here: Peter #72 in 1987, Richard #80 in 1979.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Peter #130, Richard #481.
Republic of Ireland · Boys62 shared years, 1964–2025
Peter held the stronger position in 58 of those years, Richard in 4.
Highest recorded here: Peter #13 in 1964, Richard #20 in 1986.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Peter #152, Richard #232.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys46 shared years, 1952–1997
Peter held the stronger position in 46 of those years, Richard in 0.
Highest recorded here: Peter #1 in 1954, Richard #16 in 1960.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1997: Peter #53, Richard #98.
New Zealand · Boys46 shared years, 1954–1999
Peter held the stronger position in 19 of those years, Richard in 27.
Highest recorded here: Peter #1 in 1956, Richard #9 in 1965.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1999: Peter #74, Richard #81.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Peter held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Richard in 0.
Highest recorded here: Peter #59 in 1996, Richard #62 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Peter #286, Richard #398.
Northern Ireland · Boys24 shared years, 1997–2022
Peter held the stronger position in 24 of those years, Richard in 0.
Highest recorded here: Peter #22 in 1998, Richard #77 in 1999.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2022: Peter #177, Richard #311.
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 | Peter | Richard |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | From Greek Petros ('stone'), a translation of the Aramaic Cephas, the name Jesus gave to the apostle Simon. | From Old German elements 'rih' (ruler, king) and 'hart' (hard, firm, brave, hardy) — 'brave ruler'. Introduced to England by the Normans in the 11th century. |
| Origin | Greek/Aramaic, biblical | Germanic |
| Pronunciation | /ˈpit.əɹ/ | /ˈɹɪt͡ʃ.əɹd/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 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 #152 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #232 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Peter is recorded with a Greek/Aramaic, biblical origin, while Richard is recorded with a Germanic origin.
- Peter and Richard both have 2 syllables.
- Peter's recorded meaning differs from Richard'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
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
Richard
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #219 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1954–1999
Highest recorded position: #9 among boys in New Zealand, in 1965 (recorded 1954–1999).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #232 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys