Barbara vs Mathea
Barbara and Matheacompared 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 · Girls
In 2015, Barbara was ranked #543 and Mathea #56 among girls in Norway.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2022, Barbara was ranked #1685 and Mathea #5669 among girls in England and Wales.
Barbara and Mathea over time
Barbara and Mathea appear together in 1 published list, across 9 years of shared records. Mathea held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Barbara 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.
Barbara reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Mathea 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 · Girls9 shared years, 1992–2015
Barbara held the stronger position in 3 of those years, Mathea in 6.
Highest recorded here: Barbara #294 in 1992, Mathea #39 in 2012.
The order changed in 1995: Mathea moved ahead. In 1994 they stood at #399 and #450; by 1995 that had become #615 and #293.
Most recent shared year, 2015: Barbara #543, Mathea #56.
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 | Barbara | Mathea |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | |
| Syllables | 3 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, IE, NO, NZ | GB-ENW, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Girls #2000 (2024) | Norway · Girls #69 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 60/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Barbara has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Mathea.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, NO.
How each name got here
Barbara
Popularity journey
First recorded1946
First recorded at #271 among girls in Norway in 1946 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1954–1971
Highest recorded position: #10 among girls in New Zealand, in 1954 (recorded 1954–1971).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #2000 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls
Mathea
Popularity journey
First recorded1992
First recorded at #513 among girls in Norway in 1992 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1992–2025
Highest recorded position: #39 among girls in Norway, in 2010 (recorded 1992–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #69 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls