Ben vs Matthew
Ben 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 South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2004, Ben was ranked #99 and Matthew #13 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2011, Ben was ranked #79 and Matthew #40 among boys in New Zealand.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Ben was ranked #40 and Matthew #55 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Ben was ranked #125 and Matthew #42 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Ben was ranked #121 and Matthew #73 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Ben was ranked #509 and Matthew #149 among boys in England and Wales.
Norway · Boys
In 2023, Ben was ranked #355 and Matthew #421 among boys in Norway.
Ben and Matthew over time
Ben and Matthew appear together in 6 published lists, across 205 years of shared records. Matthew held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Ben in 1.
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 4 of those lists, Ben 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.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2020, Ben moved ahead of Matthew in Republic of Ireland · Boys — #28 and #27 the year before became #32 and #39.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Ben and Matthew changed places 16 times in Norway · Boys between 1966 and 2023, ending at #355 and #421.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 28 shared years in Northern Ireland · Boys, Ben and Matthew averaged 30.1 places apart, ending at #125 and #42.
- Longest-running competitions
Ben and Matthew were both ranked in New Zealand · Boys for 31 years, from 1981 to 2011, ending at #79 and #40.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in New South Wales, Australia · Boys within 2 years — Ben #41 in 1981, Matthew #1 in 1982.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys47 shared years, 1978–2025
Ben held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Matthew in 37.
Highest recorded here: Ben #14 in 2005, Matthew #15 in 2007.
The order changed in 2020: Ben moved ahead. In 2019 they stood at #28 and #27; by 2020 that had become #32 and #39.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ben #40, Matthew #55.
Norway · Boys44 shared years, 1966–2023
Ben held the stronger position in 25 of those years, Matthew in 19.
Highest recorded here: Ben #267 in 1989, Matthew #267 in 1985.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Ben #355, Matthew #421.
New Zealand · Boys31 shared years, 1981–2011
Ben held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Matthew in 31.
Highest recorded here: Ben #38 in 2002, Matthew #1 in 1990.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2011: Ben #79, Matthew #40.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Ben held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Matthew in 29.
Highest recorded here: Ben #21 in 2002, Matthew #6 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ben #509, Matthew #149.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Ben held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Matthew in 28.
Highest recorded here: Ben #6 in 2004, Matthew #1 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ben #125, Matthew #42.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys26 shared years, 1976–2004
Ben held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Matthew in 26.
Highest recorded here: Ben #41 in 1981, Matthew #1 in 1982.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2004: Ben #99, Matthew #13.
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 | Ben | Matthew |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | A short form of Benjamin, Benedict and other names beginning with 'Ben'; in Dutch, can also be short for Bernhard. | 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 | Hebrew/Germanic, short form | Biblical Hebrew |
| Pronunciation | /ˈbɛn/ | /ˈmæθ.juː/ |
| Syllables | 1 | 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 | Republic of Ireland · Boys #40 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #55 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Ben is recorded with a Hebrew/Germanic, short form origin, while Matthew is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew origin.
- Ben has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Matthew.
- Ben'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
Ben
Popularity journey
First recorded1950
First recorded at #376 among boys in Norway in 1950 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1997–2024
Highest recorded position: #6 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2004 (recorded 1997–2024).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #40 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · 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