Conor vs Matthew
Conor 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 Zealand · Boys
In 1996, Conor was ranked #98 and Matthew #2 among boys in New Zealand.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Conor was ranked #16 and Matthew #55 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Conor was ranked #51 and Matthew #42 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Conor was ranked #181 and Matthew #73 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Conor was ranked #422 and Matthew #149 among boys in England and Wales.
Conor and Matthew over time
Conor and Matthew appear together in 3 published lists, across 119 years of shared records. Matthew held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Conor in 1.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 1 of the lists they share.
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
Conor and Matthew changed places 4 times in Northern Ireland · Boys between 1997 and 2024, ending at #51 and #42.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 28 shared years in Northern Ireland · Boys, Conor and Matthew averaged 7.7 places apart, ending at #51 and #42.
- Longest-running competitions
Conor and Matthew were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 62 years, from 1964 to 2025, ending at #16 and #55.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Conor #57 in 1998, Matthew #6 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys62 shared years, 1964–2025
Conor held the stronger position in 61 of those years, Matthew in 1.
Highest recorded here: Conor #1 in 1995, Matthew #15 in 2007.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Conor #16, Matthew #55.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Conor held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Matthew in 29.
Highest recorded here: Conor #57 in 1998, Matthew #6 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Conor #422, Matthew #149.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Conor held the stronger position in 3 of those years, Matthew in 25.
Highest recorded here: Conor #4 in 1997, Matthew #1 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Conor #51, 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 | Conor | Matthew |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | The Anglicized form of Conchobar (Modern Irish Conchúr), from the elements 'cú' ('dog, hound') and 'cobar'. | 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 | Irish | Biblical Hebrew |
| Pronunciation | /ˈkɑn.əɹ/ | /ˈmæθ.juː/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | 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 #16 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #55 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Conor is recorded with a Irish origin, while Matthew is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew origin.
- Conor and Matthew both have 2 syllables.
- Conor's recorded meaning differs from Matthew's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Conor
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #56 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1995 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #16 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