Peter vs Shane
Peter and Shanecompared 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 1996, Peter was ranked #45 and Shane #83 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Boys
In 1998, Peter was ranked #85 and Shane #90 among boys in New Zealand.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Peter was ranked #152 and Shane #152 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Peter was ranked #164 and Shane #216 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Peter was ranked #181 and Shane #478 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Peter was ranked #286 and Shane #857 among boys in England and Wales.
Peter and Shane over time
Peter and Shane appear together in 5 published lists, across 205 years of shared records. Peter held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Shane 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, and Shane 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Peter and Shane changed places 10 times in New Zealand · Boys between 1955 and 1998, ending at #85 and #90.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 43 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Boys, Peter and Shane averaged 25.8 places apart, ending at #45 and #83.
- Longest-running competitions
Peter and Shane were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 43 years, from 1954 to 1996, ending at #45 and #83.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Peter #59 in 1996, Shane #74 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys62 shared years, 1964–2025
Peter held the stronger position in 17 of those years, Shane in 44.
Highest recorded here: Peter #13 in 1964, Shane #3 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Peter #152, Shane #152.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys43 shared years, 1954–1996
Peter held the stronger position in 43 of those years, Shane in 0.
Highest recorded here: Peter #1 in 1954, Shane #15 in 1971.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1996: Peter #45, Shane #83.
New Zealand · Boys43 shared years, 1955–1998
Peter held the stronger position in 32 of those years, Shane in 11.
Highest recorded here: Peter #1 in 1956, Shane #12 in 1968.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1998: Peter #85, Shane #90.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Peter held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Shane in 0.
Highest recorded here: Peter #59 in 1996, Shane #74 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Peter #286, Shane #857.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Peter held the stronger position in 26 of those years, Shane in 1.
Highest recorded here: Peter #22 in 1998, Shane #41 in 2002.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Peter #164, Shane #216.
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 | Shane |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Anglicized form of Seán, ultimately from Hebrew elements meaning 'Yahweh' and 'gracious' — the same root tradition as John. Popularised in America by the 1953 western film Shane. |
| Origin | Greek/Aramaic, biblical | Hebrew, via Irish Seán |
| Pronunciation | /ˈpit.əɹ/ | /ˈʃeɪn/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Seán, Sean, Shaun, Shawn |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #152 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #152 (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 | high |
What the data shows
- Peter is recorded with a Greek/Aramaic, biblical origin, while Shane is recorded with a Hebrew, via Irish Seán origin.
- Peter and Shane both have 2 syllables.
- Peter's recorded meaning differs from Shane's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.
- The available evidence gives Peter a "medium" Data Confidence level and Shane a "high" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.
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
Shane
Popularity journey
First recorded1954
First recorded at #72 among boys in New South Wales, Australia in 1954 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #3 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1996 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #152 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys