Adrian vs Matthew
Adrian and Matthewcompared 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 Zealand · Boys
In 1986, Adrian was ranked #86 and Matthew #3 among boys in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2003, Adrian was ranked #92 and Matthew #11 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Adrian was ranked #348 and Matthew #55 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2023, Adrian was ranked #249 and Matthew #57 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Norway · Boys
In 2023, Adrian was ranked #62 and Matthew #421 among boys in Norway.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Adrian was ranked #478 and Matthew #73 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Adrian was ranked #244 and Matthew #149 among boys in England and Wales.
Adrian and Matthew over time
Adrian and Matthew appear together in 6 published lists, across 236 years of shared records. Matthew held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Adrian in 1.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Adrian reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, Matthew 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Adrian and Matthew changed places 4 times in Republic of Ireland · Boys between 1964 and 2025, ending at #348 and #55.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 46 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Boys, Adrian and Matthew averaged 50.7 places apart, ending at #92 and #11.
- Longest-running competitions
Adrian and Matthew were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 46 years, from 1957 to 2003, ending at #92 and #11.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Northern Ireland · Boys within 2 years — Adrian #153 in 1997, Matthew #1 in 1997.
- Started together, ended far apart
In 1964 they stood at #65 and #59 in Republic of Ireland · Boys, 6 places apart; by 2025 they were #348 and #55.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys62 shared years, 1964–2025
Adrian held the stronger position in 17 of those years, Matthew in 45.
Highest recorded here: Adrian #41 in 1975, Matthew #15 in 2007.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Adrian #348, Matthew #55.
Norway · Boys47 shared years, 1966–2023
Adrian held the stronger position in 45 of those years, Matthew in 2.
Highest recorded here: Adrian #3 in 2005, Matthew #267 in 1985.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Adrian #62, Matthew #421.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys46 shared years, 1957–2003
Adrian held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Matthew in 46.
Highest recorded here: Adrian #36 in 1977, Matthew #1 in 1982.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2003: Adrian #92, Matthew #11.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Adrian held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Matthew in 29.
Highest recorded here: Adrian #190 in 2009, Matthew #6 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Adrian #244, Matthew #149.
New Zealand · Boys28 shared years, 1959–1986
Adrian held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Matthew in 28.
Highest recorded here: Adrian #54 in 1969, Matthew #2 in 1983.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1986: Adrian #86, Matthew #3.
Northern Ireland · Boys24 shared years, 1997–2023
Adrian held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Matthew in 24.
Highest recorded here: Adrian #153 in 1997, Matthew #1 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Adrian #249, Matthew #57.
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 | Adrian | Matthew |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | From the Latin name Hadrianus. Borne by several saints and six popes, including the only English pope, Adrian IV. | From Greek Matthaios, from Hebrew Mattithiah, combining 'mattat' (gift) with 'Yahweh' — 'gift of God'. Matthew was a tax collector and one of the twelve apostles, traditionally credited as author of the first Gospel. |
| Origin | Latin | Biblical Hebrew |
| Pronunciation | /ˈeɪ.dɹi.ən/ | /ˈmæθ.juː/ |
| 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 | Norway · Boys #70 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #55 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Adrian is recorded with a Latin origin, while Matthew is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew origin.
- Adrian and Matthew both have 2 syllables.
- Adrian's recorded meaning differs from Matthew'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
Adrian
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #87 among boys in New South Wales, Australia in 1952 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Highest recorded1958–2025
Highest recorded position: #3 among boys in Norway, in 2005 (recorded 1958–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #70 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys
Matthew
Popularity journey
First recorded1957
First recorded at #78 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 recorded1957–2023
Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1982 (recorded 1957–2023).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #55 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys