Gisle vs Matthew
Gisle 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.
Norway · Boys
In 2006, Gisle was ranked #542 and Matthew #514 among boys in Norway.
Gisle and Matthew over time
Gisle and Matthew appear together in 1 published list, across 32 years of shared records. Gisle held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Matthew 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.
Gisle reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Matthew 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
Gisle and Matthew changed places 11 times in Norway · Boys between 1966 and 2006, ending at #542 and #514.
- Longest-running competitions
Gisle and Matthew were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 32 years, from 1966 to 2006, ending at #542 and #514.
List by list
Norway · Boys32 shared years, 1966–2006
Gisle held the stronger position in 20 of those years, Matthew in 12.
Highest recorded here: Gisle #142 in 1973, Matthew #267 in 1985.
The order changed in 1998: Matthew moved ahead. In 1997 they stood at #469 and #582; by 1998 that had become #556 and #330.
Most recent shared year, 2006: Gisle #542, Matthew #514.
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.
Where to go next
Comparisons that share a name, a rule or a published list with this one. Each is an existing comparison page with its own evidence — nothing here says these pairs are alike.
Other comparisons involving Matthew
Pairs where Matthew shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.
- Matthew vs Adrian
In 1964 they stood at #59 and #65 in Republic of Ireland · Boys, 6 places apart; by 2025 they were #55 and #348.
Matthew · Adrian · 62 shared years, 1964–2025 · Started together, ended far apart
- Matthew vs Ashley
Both reached their highest recorded position in New Zealand · Boys within 2 years — Matthew #1 in 1990, Ashley #53 in 1989.
Matthew · Ashley · 11 shared years, 1984–1995 · Peaked in the same years
- Matthew vs Barry
Both reached their highest recorded position in Northern Ireland · Boys within 2 years — Matthew #1 in 1997, Barry #90 in 1997.
Matthew · Barry · 21 shared years, 1997–2022 · Peaked in the same years
- Matthew vs Ben
Both reached their highest recorded position in New South Wales, Australia · Boys within 2 years — Matthew #1 in 1982, Ben #41 in 1981.
Matthew · Ben · 26 shared years, 1976–2004 · Peaked in the same years
Side by side
| Field | Gisle | Matthew |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | 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 | Not yet recorded | Biblical Hebrew |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ˈmæθ.juː/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | NO | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Boys #542 (2006) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #55 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 40/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Matthew has a recorded origin (Biblical Hebrew); Gisle does not have one recorded yet.
- Gisle and Matthew both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Matthew; Gisle doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in NO.
How each name got here
Gisle
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #281 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1945–2006
Highest recorded position: #142 among boys in Norway, in 1973 (recorded 1945–2006).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2006
Most recently recorded at #542 among boys in Norway, in 2006.
Norway · 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