Espen vs Matas
Espen and Matascompared 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.
Norway · Boys
In 2024, Espen was ranked #395 and Matas #494 among boys in Norway.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Espen was ranked #5119 and Matas #1758 among boys in England and Wales.
Espen and Matas over time
Espen and Matas appear together in 2 published lists, across 43 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
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.
List by list
Norway · Boys27 shared years, 1989–2024
Espen held the stronger position in 25 of those years, Matas in 2.
Highest recorded here: Espen #17 in 1992, Matas #257 in 2017.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Espen #395, Matas #494.
England and Wales · Boys16 shared years, 2002–2024
Espen held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Matas in 15.
Highest recorded here: Espen #2693 in 2018, Matas #489 in 2014.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Espen #5119, Matas #1758.
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 | Espen | Matas |
|---|---|---|
| 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, NO | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Boys #430 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #829 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 60/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Espen and Matas both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, NO.
How each name got here
Espen
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #315 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1945–2025
Highest recorded position: #8 among boys in Norway, in 1982 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #430 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys
Matas
Popularity journey
First recorded1989
First recorded at #637 among boys in Norway in 1989 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded2002–2025
Highest recorded position: #213 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2008 (recorded 2002–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #829 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys