Goran vs Matthew
Goran 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.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2021, Goran was ranked #4789 and Matthew #123 among boys in England and Wales.
Norway · Boys
In 1991, Goran was ranked #573 and Matthew #298 among boys in Norway.
Goran and Matthew over time
Goran and Matthew appear together in 2 published lists, across 35 years of shared records. Matthew held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Goran 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Goran and Matthew changed places 9 times in Norway · Boys between 1966 and 1991, ending at #573 and #298.
List by list
Norway · Boys24 shared years, 1966–1991
Goran held the stronger position in 12 of those years, Matthew in 12.
Highest recorded here: Goran #300 in 1970, Matthew #267 in 1985.
The order changed in 1985: Matthew moved ahead. In 1984 they stood at #319 and #351; by 1985 that had become #501 and #267.
Most recent shared year, 1991: Goran #573, Matthew #298.
England and Wales · Boys11 shared years, 1999–2021
Goran held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Matthew in 11.
Highest recorded here: Goran #2189 in 2003, Matthew #6 in 1999.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2021: Goran #4789, Matthew #123.
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 | Goran | 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 | GB-ENW, NO | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Boys #4789 (2021) | 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) | 60/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Matthew has a recorded origin (Biblical Hebrew); Goran does not have one recorded yet.
- Goran and Matthew both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Matthew; Goran doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, NO.
How each name got here
Goran
Popularity journey
First recorded1956
First recorded at #422 among boys in Norway in 1956 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1956–1993
Highest recorded position: #300 among boys in Norway, in 1970 (recorded 1956–1993).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2021
Most recently recorded at #4789 among boys in England and Wales, in 2021.
England and Wales · 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