Peter vs Scott
Peter and Scottcompared 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 1999, Peter was ranked #54 and Scott #95 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2001, Peter was ranked #81 and Scott #92 among boys in New Zealand.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Peter was ranked #152 and Scott #198 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Peter was ranked #164 and Scott #239 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Peter was ranked #174 and Scott #365 among boys in Norway.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Peter was ranked #181 and Scott #199 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Peter was ranked #286 and Scott #1025 among boys in England and Wales.
Peter and Scott over time
Peter and Scott appear together in 6 published lists, across 250 years of shared records. Peter held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Scott 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 5 of those lists, and Scott 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 2006, Peter moved ahead of Scott in England and Wales · Boys — #124 and #99 the year before became #118 and #125.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Peter and Scott changed places 6 times in New South Wales, Australia · Boys between 1957 and 1999, ending at #54 and #95.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 43 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Boys, Peter and Scott averaged 13.2 places apart, ending at #54 and #95.
- Longest-running competitions
Peter and Scott were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 43 years, from 1957 to 1999, ending at #54 and #95.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Peter #59 in 1996, Scott #48 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys56 shared years, 1970–2025
Peter held the stronger position in 45 of those years, Scott in 11.
Highest recorded here: Peter #17 in 1971, Scott #42 in 2004.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Peter #152, Scott #198.
Norway · Boys53 shared years, 1957–2025
Peter held the stronger position in 53 of those years, Scott in 0.
Highest recorded here: Peter #72 in 1987, Scott #213 in 2011.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Peter #174, Scott #365.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys43 shared years, 1957–1999
Peter held the stronger position in 31 of those years, Scott in 12.
Highest recorded here: Peter #1 in 1957, Scott #8 in 1973.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1999: Peter #54, Scott #95.
New Zealand · Boys42 shared years, 1960–2001
Peter held the stronger position in 13 of those years, Scott in 29.
Highest recorded here: Peter #2 in 1960, Scott #12 in 1977.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2001: Peter #81, Scott #92.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Peter held the stronger position in 19 of those years, Scott in 10.
Highest recorded here: Peter #59 in 1996, Scott #48 in 1996.
The order changed in 2006: Peter moved ahead. In 2005 they stood at #124 and #99; by 2006 that had become #118 and #125.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Peter #286, Scott #1025.
Northern Ireland · Boys27 shared years, 1997–2024
Peter held the stronger position in 26 of those years, Scott in 1.
Highest recorded here: Peter #22 in 1998, Scott #36 in 2004.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Peter #164, Scott #239.
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 | Scott |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | An English/Scottish surname referring to a person from Scotland or a Scottish Gaelic speaker, from Latin 'Scoti' ('Gael, Gaelic speaker') — the ultimate origin of that Latin term is itself uncertain. |
| Origin | Greek/Aramaic, biblical | English/Scottish (surname origin) |
| Pronunciation | /ˈpit.əɹ/ | /ˈskɑt/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| 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 #198 (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
- Peter is recorded with a Greek/Aramaic, biblical origin, while Scott is recorded with a English/Scottish (surname origin) origin.
- Peter has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Scott.
- Peter's recorded meaning differs from Scott'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
Scott
Popularity journey
First recorded1957
First recorded at #75 among boys in New South Wales, Australia in 1957 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Highest recorded1957–1999
Highest recorded position: #8 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1973 (recorded 1957–1999).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #365 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys