Gerard vs Matthew
Gerard 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 South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 1966, Gerard was ranked #84 and Matthew #24 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Gerard was ranked #305 and Matthew #42 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Gerard was ranked #348 and Matthew #55 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
New Zealand · Boys
In 1965, Gerard was ranked #96 and Matthew #61 among boys in New Zealand.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Gerard was ranked #727 and Matthew #73 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Gerard was ranked #1675 and Matthew #149 among boys in England and Wales.
Gerard and Matthew over time
Gerard and Matthew appear together in 4 published lists, across 127 years of shared records. Matthew held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Gerard in 0.
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.
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.
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 Republic of Ireland · Boys, Matthew moved into the top 50 at #45 in 1992 as Gerard fell out of it to #54, having been #41 the year before.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 1992, Matthew moved ahead of Gerard in Republic of Ireland · Boys — #41 and #46 the year before became #54 and #45.
- Longest-running competitions
Gerard and Matthew were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 62 years, from 1964 to 2025, ending at #348 and #55.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Gerard #462 in 1997, Matthew #6 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys62 shared years, 1964–2025
Gerard held the stronger position in 28 of those years, Matthew in 34.
Highest recorded here: Gerard #10 in 1964, Matthew #15 in 2007.
The order changed in 1992: Matthew moved ahead. In 1991 they stood at #41 and #46; by 1992 that had become #54 and #45.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Gerard #348, Matthew #55.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Gerard held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Matthew in 29.
Highest recorded here: Gerard #462 in 1997, Matthew #6 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Gerard #1675, Matthew #149.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Gerard held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Matthew in 28.
Highest recorded here: Gerard #57 in 1997, Matthew #1 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Gerard #305, Matthew #42.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys8 shared years, 1957–1966
Gerard held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Matthew in 8.
Highest recorded here: Gerard #84 in 1966, Matthew #24 in 1966.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1966: Gerard #84, Matthew #24.
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 | Gerard | Matthew |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Combines Old German 'ger' (spear) with 'hart' (hard, firm, brave) — 'spear-brave'. Borne by saints from Belgium, Germany, Hungary and Italy; brought to Britain by the Normans. | 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 | Germanic | Biblical Hebrew |
| Pronunciation | /ˈd͡ʒɛɹ.əd/ | /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, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #348 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #55 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Gerard is recorded with a Germanic origin, while Matthew is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew origin.
- Gerard and Matthew both have 2 syllables.
- Gerard'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, NZ.
How each name got here
Gerard
Popularity journey
First recorded1954
First recorded at #87 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: #10 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1964 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #348 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