David vs Matthew
David 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, David was ranked #104 and Matthew #42 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, David was ranked #45 and Matthew #55 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, David was ranked #64 and Matthew #149 among boys in England and Wales.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2018, David was ranked #97 and Matthew #70 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, David was ranked #71 and Matthew #73 among boys in Scotland.
Norway · Boys
In 2023, David was ranked #76 and Matthew #421 among boys in Norway.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2020, David was ranked #84 and Matthew #100 among boys in New Zealand.
David and Matthew over time
David and Matthew appear together in 6 published lists, across 289 years of shared records. Matthew held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, David in 2.
The order between them changed and held in 2 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
David reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, Matthew 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 2015, David moved ahead of Matthew in England and Wales · Boys — #50 and #49 the year before became #43 and #47.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
David and Matthew changed places 5 times in New South Wales, Australia · Boys between 1957 and 2018, ending at #97 and #70.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, David and Matthew averaged 34.5 places apart, ending at #64 and #149.
- Longest-running competitions
David and Matthew were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 60 years, from 1957 to 2018, ending at #97 and #70.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — David #32 in 1996, Matthew #6 in 1996.
List by list
New Zealand · Boys63 shared years, 1958–2020
David held the stronger position in 25 of those years, Matthew in 38.
Highest recorded here: David #1 in 1960, Matthew #1 in 1990.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2020: David #84, Matthew #100.
Republic of Ireland · Boys62 shared years, 1964–2025
David held the stronger position in 48 of those years, Matthew in 13.
Highest recorded here: David #1 in 1985, Matthew #15 in 2007.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: David #45, Matthew #55.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys60 shared years, 1957–2018
David held the stronger position in 21 of those years, Matthew in 39.
Highest recorded here: David #1 in 1961, Matthew #1 in 1982.
The order changed in 1982: Matthew moved ahead. In 1981 they stood at #3 and #4; by 1982 that had become #5 and #1.
Most recent shared year, 2018: David #97, Matthew #70.
Norway · Boys47 shared years, 1966–2023
David held the stronger position in 47 of those years, Matthew in 0.
Highest recorded here: David #31 in 2005, Matthew #267 in 1985.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: David #76, Matthew #421.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
David held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Matthew in 19.
Highest recorded here: David #32 in 1996, Matthew #6 in 1996.
The order changed in 2015: David moved ahead. In 2014 they stood at #50 and #49; by 2015 that had become #43 and #47.
Most recent shared year, 2024: David #64, Matthew #149.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
David held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Matthew in 28.
Highest recorded here: David #9 in 1997, Matthew #1 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: David #104, 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 | David | Matthew |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Commonly interpreted as 'beloved', with a possible secondary sense of 'uncle' for the root. | 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 | Biblical Hebrew | Biblical Hebrew |
| Pronunciation | /ˈdeɪvɪd/ | /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, NO, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #45 (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
- Both David and Matthew share a recorded Biblical Hebrew origin.
- David and Matthew both have 2 syllables.
- David'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
David
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #167 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1952–2018
Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1961 (recorded 1952–2018).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #88 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · 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