Ethan vs Matthew
Ethan 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 2023, Ethan was ranked #24 and Matthew #99 among boys in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2023, Ethan was ranked #27 and Matthew #85 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Ethan was ranked #57 and Matthew #42 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Ethan was ranked #48 and Matthew #149 among boys in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Ethan was ranked #51 and Matthew #55 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Ethan was ranked #54 and Matthew #73 among boys in Scotland.
Ethan and Matthew over time
Ethan and Matthew appear together in 5 published lists, across 160 years of shared records. Ethan held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Matthew in 2.
The order between them changed and held in 3 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Matthew reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 5 of those lists, and Ethan 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.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2007, Ethan moved ahead of Matthew in England and Wales · Boys — #18 and #18 the year before became #15 and #24.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Ethan and Matthew changed places 6 times in Northern Ireland · Boys between 1997 and 2024, ending at #57 and #42.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Ethan and Matthew averaged 38.8 places apart, ending at #48 and #149.
- Longest-running competitions
Ethan and Matthew were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 33 years, from 1991 to 2023, ending at #27 and #85.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys37 shared years, 1989–2025
Ethan held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Matthew in 36.
Highest recorded here: Ethan #30 in 2012, Matthew #15 in 2007.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ethan #51, Matthew #55.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys33 shared years, 1991–2023
Ethan held the stronger position in 22 of those years, Matthew in 11.
Highest recorded here: Ethan #4 in 2011, Matthew #1 in 1991.
The order changed in 2002: Ethan moved ahead. In 2001 they stood at #17 and #7; by 2002 that had become #5 and #11.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Ethan #27, Matthew #85.
New Zealand · Boys33 shared years, 1990–2023
Ethan held the stronger position in 21 of those years, Matthew in 12.
Highest recorded here: Ethan #5 in 2002, Matthew #1 in 1990.
The order changed in 2002: Ethan moved ahead. In 2001 they stood at #11 and #9; by 2002 that had become #5 and #11.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Ethan #24, Matthew #99.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Ethan held the stronger position in 18 of those years, Matthew in 10.
Highest recorded here: Ethan #11 in 2011, Matthew #6 in 1996.
The order changed in 2007: Ethan moved ahead. In 2006 they stood at #18 and #18; by 2007 that had become #15 and #24.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ethan #48, Matthew #149.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Ethan held the stronger position in 6 of those years, Matthew in 20.
Highest recorded here: Ethan #4 in 2011, Matthew #1 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ethan #57, 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 | Ethan | Matthew |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Traditionally associated with qualities like 'solid, enduring, firm'. | 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 | /ˈiːθən/ | /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 | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #49 (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 Ethan and Matthew share a recorded Biblical Hebrew origin.
- Ethan and Matthew both have 2 syllables.
- Ethan'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
Ethan
Popularity journey
First recorded1989
First recorded at #208 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1989 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1991–2025
Highest recorded position: #4 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2011 (recorded 1991–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #49 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · 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