Antony vs Matthew
Antony 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.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2009, Antony was ranked #390 and Matthew #2 among boys in Northern Ireland.
New Zealand · Boys
In 1975, Antony was ranked #94 and Matthew #7 among boys in New Zealand.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2022, Antony was ranked #779 and Matthew #42 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 1960, Antony was ranked #98 and Matthew #61 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Antony was ranked #968 and Matthew #149 among boys in England and Wales.
Antony and Matthew over time
Antony and Matthew appear together in 3 published lists, across 54 years of shared records. Matthew held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Antony in 0.
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.
Antony reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Matthew 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 1965, Matthew moved ahead of Antony in New Zealand · Boys — #56 and #58 the year before became #63 and #61.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Antony #158 in 1996, Matthew #6 in 1996.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Antony held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Matthew in 29.
Highest recorded here: Antony #158 in 1996, Matthew #6 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Antony #968, Matthew #149.
New Zealand · Boys16 shared years, 1960–1975
Antony held the stronger position in 3 of those years, Matthew in 13.
Highest recorded here: Antony #56 in 1964, Matthew #7 in 1974.
The order changed in 1965: Matthew moved ahead. In 1964 they stood at #56 and #58; by 1965 that had become #63 and #61.
Most recent shared year, 1975: Antony #94, Matthew #7.
Republic of Ireland · Boys9 shared years, 1975–2022
Antony held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Matthew in 9.
Highest recorded here: Antony #288 in 1980, Matthew #17 in 2006.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2022: Antony #779, Matthew #42.
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 | Antony | Matthew |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | 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 | Not yet recorded | Biblical Hebrew |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ˈmæθ.juː/ |
| Syllables | 3 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Boys #968 (2024) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #55 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 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
- Matthew has a recorded origin (Biblical Hebrew); Antony does not have one recorded yet.
- Antony has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Matthew.
- A meaning is recorded for Matthew; Antony doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Antony
Popularity journey
First recorded1960
First recorded at #74 among boys in New Zealand in 1960 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New Zealand · Boys
Highest recorded1960–1975
Highest recorded position: #56 among boys in New Zealand, in 1964 (recorded 1960–1975).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #968 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · 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