Arn vs Matthew

Arn 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.

Norway · Boys
In 2018, Arn was ranked #365 and Matthew #400 among boys in Norway.

Arn and Matthew over time

Arn and Matthew appear together in 1 published list, across 12 years of shared records. Arn held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Matthew 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.

Matthew reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Arn 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.

List by list

Norway · Boys12 shared years, 2002–2018
Arn held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Matthew in 3.
Highest recorded here: Arn #229 in 2009, Matthew #372 in 2005.
The order changed in 2008: Arn moved ahead. In 2007 they stood at #471 and #392; by 2008 that had become #255 and #484.
Most recent shared year, 2018: Arn #365, Matthew #400.

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.

Where to go next

Comparisons that share a name, a rule or a published list with this one. Each is an existing comparison page with its own evidence — nothing here says these pairs are alike.

Other comparisons involving Matthew

Pairs where Matthew shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Matthew vs Adrian
In 1964 they stood at #59 and #65 in Republic of Ireland · Boys, 6 places apart; by 2025 they were #55 and #348.
Matthew · Adrian · 62 shared years, 1964–2025 · Started together, ended far apart
See the 2025 Republic of Ireland ranking
Matthew vs Ashley
Both reached their highest recorded position in New Zealand · Boys within 2 years — Matthew #1 in 1990, Ashley #53 in 1989.
Matthew · Ashley · 11 shared years, 1984–1995 · Peaked in the same years
See the 1990 New Zealand ranking
Matthew vs Barry
Both reached their highest recorded position in Northern Ireland · Boys within 2 years — Matthew #1 in 1997, Barry #90 in 1997.
Matthew · Barry · 21 shared years, 1997–2022 · Peaked in the same years
See the 1997 Northern Ireland ranking
Matthew vs Ben
Both reached their highest recorded position in New South Wales, Australia · Boys within 2 years — Matthew #1 in 1982, Ben #41 in 1981.
Matthew · Ben · 26 shared years, 1976–2004 · Peaked in the same years
See the 1982 New South Wales, Australia ranking

Side by side

Side-by-side comparison of Arn, Matthew
Field	Arn	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	1	2
Common variants / nicknames	Not yet recorded	Not yet recorded
Recorded regional usage	NO	AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ
Most recent popularity observation	Norway · Boys #420 (2024)	Republic of Ireland · Boys #55 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)	Not yet recorded	90/100
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)	95/100	82/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)	40/100	100/100
Data Confidence	medium	medium

What the data shows

Matthew has a recorded origin (Biblical Hebrew); Arn does not have one recorded yet.
Arn has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Matthew.
A meaning is recorded for Matthew; Arn doesn't have one written yet.
Both names have recorded usage in NO.

How each name got here

Arn

Popularity journey

First recorded2002
First recorded at #508 among boys in Norway in 2002 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded2002–2024
Highest recorded position: #229 among boys in Norway, in 2009 (recorded 2002–2024).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #420 among boys in Norway, in 2024.
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