Fionn vs Matthew
Fionn 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.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Fionn was ranked #6 and Matthew #55 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Fionn was ranked #26 and Matthew #42 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Fionn was ranked #330 and Matthew #73 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Fionn was ranked #757 and Matthew #149 among boys in England and Wales.
Fionn and Matthew over time
Fionn and Matthew appear together in 3 published lists, across 106 years of shared records. Matthew held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Fionn in 0.
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.
Matthew reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, and Fionn 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 took the other's place near the top
In Northern Ireland · Boys, Fionn moved into the top 50 at #34 in 2023 as Matthew fell out of it to #57, having been #31 the year before.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2023, Fionn moved ahead of Matthew in Northern Ireland · Boys — #51 and #31 the year before became #34 and #57.
- Longest-running competitions
Fionn and Matthew were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 51 years, from 1971 to 2025, ending at #6 and #55.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys51 shared years, 1971–2025
Fionn held the stronger position in 12 of those years, Matthew in 39.
Highest recorded here: Fionn #6 in 2023, Matthew #15 in 2007.
The order changed in 2014: Fionn moved ahead. In 2013 they stood at #25 and #22; by 2014 that had become #26 and #28.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Fionn #6, Matthew #55.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Fionn held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Matthew in 29.
Highest recorded here: Fionn #555 in 2022, Matthew #6 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Fionn #757, Matthew #149.
Northern Ireland · Boys26 shared years, 1999–2024
Fionn held the stronger position in 2 of those years, Matthew in 24.
Highest recorded here: Fionn #26 in 2024, Matthew #1 in 1999.
The order changed in 2023: Fionn moved ahead. In 2022 they stood at #51 and #31; by 2023 that had become #34 and #57.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Fionn #26, 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 | Fionn | Matthew |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Traditionally interpreted as 'white' or 'fair', extending in Old Irish usage to 'bright' and figuratively 'true, just'. Strongly associated with the mythological hero Fionn mac Cumhaill. | 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 | Irish | Biblical Hebrew |
| Pronunciation | /ˈfɪn/ | /ˈmæθ.juː/ |
| Syllables | 1 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #6 (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
- Fionn is recorded with a Irish origin, while Matthew is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew origin.
- Fionn has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Matthew.
- Fionn's recorded meaning differs from Matthew's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE.
How each name got here
Fionn
Popularity journey
First recorded1971
First recorded at #257 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1971 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1971–2025
Highest recorded position: #6 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2023 (recorded 1971–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #6 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