Connor vs Matthew
Connor 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 2024, Connor was ranked #164 and Matthew #42 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Connor was ranked #829 and Matthew #55 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Connor was ranked #88 and Matthew #73 among boys in Scotland.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2022, Connor was ranked #92 and Matthew #85 among boys in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2022, Connor was ranked #87 and Matthew #97 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Connor was ranked #264 and Matthew #149 among boys in England and Wales.
Connor and Matthew over time
Connor and Matthew appear together in 5 published lists, across 176 years of shared records. Matthew held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Connor 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 4 of those lists, Connor in 1. 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 2019, Connor moved ahead of Matthew in New South Wales, Australia · Boys — #72 and #70 the year before became #58 and #69.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Connor and Matthew changed places 4 times in New Zealand · Boys between 1992 and 2022, ending at #92 and #85.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Connor and Matthew averaged 32.8 places apart, ending at #264 and #149.
- Longest-running competitions
Connor and Matthew were both ranked in New Zealand · Boys for 30 years, from 1992 to 2022, ending at #92 and #85.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Connor #11 in 1998, Matthew #6 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys61 shared years, 1965–2025
Connor held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Matthew in 61.
Highest recorded here: Connor #71 in 1998, Matthew #15 in 2007.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Connor #829, Matthew #55.
New Zealand · Boys30 shared years, 1992–2022
Connor held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Matthew in 19.
Highest recorded here: Connor #11 in 1999, Matthew #1 in 1992.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2022: Connor #92, Matthew #85.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Connor held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Matthew in 29.
Highest recorded here: Connor #11 in 1998, Matthew #6 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Connor #264, Matthew #149.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys28 shared years, 1994–2022
Connor held the stronger position in 3 of those years, Matthew in 25.
Highest recorded here: Connor #23 in 2003, Matthew #2 in 1994.
The order changed in 2019: Connor moved ahead. In 2018 they stood at #72 and #70; by 2019 that had become #58 and #69.
Most recent shared year, 2022: Connor #87, Matthew #97.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Connor held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Matthew in 28.
Highest recorded here: Connor #35 in 1998, Matthew #1 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Connor #164, 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 | Connor | 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 | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #829 (2025) | 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); Connor does not have one recorded yet.
- Connor and Matthew both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Matthew; Connor doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Connor
Popularity journey
First recorded1965
First recorded at #170 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1965 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #11 among boys in England and Wales, in 1998 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #829 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