Darren vs Matthew
Darren 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 1989, Darren was ranked #85 and Matthew #1 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Boys
In 1982, Darren was ranked #83 and Matthew #6 among boys in New Zealand.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Darren was ranked #404 and Matthew #42 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Darren was ranked #676 and Matthew #55 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Darren was ranked #535 and Matthew #73 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Darren was ranked #1108 and Matthew #149 among boys in England and Wales.
Darren and Matthew over time
Darren and Matthew appear together in 5 published lists, across 161 years of shared records. Matthew held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Darren in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Darren reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, and Matthew 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.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 30 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Boys, Darren and Matthew averaged 33.2 places apart, ending at #85 and #1.
- Longest-running competitions
Darren and Matthew were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 30 years, from 1960 to 1989, ending at #85 and #1.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Darren #123 in 1996, Matthew #6 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys60 shared years, 1966–2025
Darren held the stronger position in 28 of those years, Matthew in 32.
Highest recorded here: Darren #18 in 1988, Matthew #15 in 2007.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Darren #676, Matthew #55.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys30 shared years, 1960–1989
Darren held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Matthew in 22.
Highest recorded here: Darren #10 in 1966, Matthew #1 in 1982.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1989: Darren #85, Matthew #1.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Darren held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Matthew in 29.
Highest recorded here: Darren #123 in 1996, Matthew #6 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Darren #1108, Matthew #149.
Northern Ireland · Boys24 shared years, 1997–2024
Darren held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Matthew in 24.
Highest recorded here: Darren #52 in 1997, Matthew #1 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Darren #404, Matthew #42.
New Zealand · Boys18 shared years, 1964–1982
Darren held the stronger position in 3 of those years, Matthew in 15.
Highest recorded here: Darren #13 in 1965, Matthew #3 in 1976.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1982: Darren #83, Matthew #6.
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 | Darren | Matthew |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Exact meaning uncertain — may derive from a rare Irish surname, or be a variant of Darrell. Popularized in the late 1950s by actor Darren McGavin and in the 1960s by the character Darrin Stephens from Bewitched. | 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 | Uncertain (possibly Irish surname, or a variant of Darrell) | Biblical Hebrew |
| Pronunciation | /ˈdæɹ.ən/ | /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 #676 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #55 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 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
- Darren is recorded with a Uncertain (possibly Irish surname, or a variant of Darrell) origin, while Matthew is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew origin.
- Darren and Matthew both have 2 syllables.
- Darren'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, NZ.
How each name got here
Darren
Popularity journey
First recorded1960
First recorded at #83 among boys in New South Wales, Australia in 1960 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Highest recorded1960–1989
Highest recorded position: #10 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1966 (recorded 1960–1989).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #676 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