Derek vs Mathew
Derek and Mathewcompared 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 1970, Derek was ranked #95 and Mathew #94 among boys in New Zealand.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 1998, Derek was ranked #272 and Mathew #190 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Derek was ranked #432 and Mathew #829 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Derek was ranked #1108 and Mathew #1517 among boys in England and Wales.
Derek and Mathew over time
Derek and Mathew appear together in 2 published lists, across 85 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
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.
Mathew reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Derek 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
Derek and Mathew changed places 8 times in Republic of Ireland · Boys between 1964 and 2025, ending at #432 and #829.
- Longest-running competitions
Derek and Mathew were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 56 years, from 1964 to 2025, ending at #432 and #829.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Derek #464 in 1996, Mathew #115 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys56 shared years, 1964–2025
Derek held the stronger position in 50 of those years, Mathew in 3.
Highest recorded here: Derek #22 in 1972, Mathew #145 in 1964.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Derek #432, Mathew #829.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Derek held the stronger position in 3 of those years, Mathew in 26.
Highest recorded here: Derek #464 in 1996, Mathew #115 in 1996.
The order changed in 2022: Derek moved ahead. In 2021 they stood at #1329 and #1290; by 2022 that had become #1179 and #2320.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Derek #1108, Mathew #1517.
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 | Derek | Mathew |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 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, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #432 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #829 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Derek and Mathew both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Derek
Popularity journey
First recorded1954
First recorded at #89 among boys in New Zealand in 1954 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New Zealand · Boys
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #22 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1972 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #432 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Mathew
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #145 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 recorded1966–2000
Highest recorded position: #29 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1985 (recorded 1966–2000).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #829 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys