Carl vs Matt
Carl and Mattcompared 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 2012, Carl was ranked #403 and Matt #311 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2023, Carl was ranked #770 and Matt #660 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Carl was ranked #2263 and Matt #5119 among boys in England and Wales.
Carl and Matt over time
Carl and Matt appear together in 2 published lists, across 47 years of shared records. Carl held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Matt 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.
Carl reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Matt 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Carl and Matt changed places 5 times in Republic of Ireland · Boys between 1994 and 2023, ending at #770 and #660.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Carl #116 in 1996, Matt #362 in 1998.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys28 shared years, 1996–2024
Carl held the stronger position in 28 of those years, Matt in 0.
Highest recorded here: Carl #116 in 1996, Matt #362 in 1998.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Carl #2263, Matt #5119.
Republic of Ireland · Boys19 shared years, 1994–2023
Carl held the stronger position in 13 of those years, Matt in 6.
Highest recorded here: Carl #115 in 1994, Matt #268 in 2005.
The order changed in 2017: Matt moved ahead. In 2016 they stood at #372 and #389; by 2017 that had become #710 and #547.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Carl #770, Matt #660.
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 | Carl | Matt |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 1 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Boys #192 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #676 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Carl and Matt both have 1 syllable.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
How each name got here
Carl
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #133 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1959–1992
Highest recorded position: #41 among boys in New Zealand, in 1981 (recorded 1959–1992).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #192 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys
Matt
Popularity journey
First recorded1994
First recorded at #342 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1994 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded2005–2017
Highest recorded position: #236 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2007 (recorded 2005–2017).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #676 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys