Henry vs Matthew
Henry 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 2023, Henry was ranked #4 and Matthew #85 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2023, Henry was ranked #8 and Matthew #99 among boys in New Zealand.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Henry was ranked #14 and Matthew #149 among boys in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Henry was ranked #45 and Matthew #42 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Henry was ranked #76 and Matthew #55 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Norway · Boys
In 2023, Henry was ranked #56 and Matthew #421 among boys in Norway.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Henry was ranked #95 and Matthew #73 among boys in Scotland.
Henry and Matthew over time
Henry and Matthew appear together in 6 published lists, across 234 years of shared records. Matthew held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Henry 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, Henry in 1. 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 New Zealand · Boys, Henry moved into the top 50 at #36 in 2013 as Matthew fell out of it to #53, having been #36 the year before.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2009, Henry moved ahead of Matthew in England and Wales · Boys — #38 and #28 the year before became #37 and #38.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Henry and Matthew changed places 8 times in Norway · Boys between 1966 and 2023, ending at #56 and #421.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Henry and Matthew averaged 49.9 places apart, ending at #14 and #149.
- Longest-running competitions
Henry and Matthew were both ranked in New Zealand · Boys for 39 years, from 1961 to 2023, ending at #8 and #99.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys62 shared years, 1964–2025
Henry held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Matthew in 62.
Highest recorded here: Henry #60 in 1964, Matthew #15 in 2007.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Henry #76, Matthew #55.
Norway · Boys47 shared years, 1966–2023
Henry held the stronger position in 33 of those years, Matthew in 14.
Highest recorded here: Henry #56 in 2023, Matthew #267 in 1985.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Henry #56, Matthew #421.
New Zealand · Boys39 shared years, 1961–2023
Henry held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Matthew in 29.
Highest recorded here: Henry #8 in 2023, Matthew #1 in 1990.
The order changed in 2013: Henry moved ahead. In 2012 they stood at #49 and #36; by 2013 that had become #36 and #53.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Henry #8, Matthew #99.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Henry held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Matthew in 13.
Highest recorded here: Henry #10 in 2021, Matthew #6 in 1996.
The order changed in 2009: Henry moved ahead. In 2008 they stood at #38 and #28; by 2009 that had become #37 and #38.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Henry #14, Matthew #149.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys29 shared years, 1993–2023
Henry held the stronger position in 12 of those years, Matthew in 17.
Highest recorded here: Henry #4 in 2023, Matthew #3 in 1993.
The order changed in 2012: Henry moved ahead. In 2011 they stood at #40 and #34; by 2012 that had become #28 and #40.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Henry #4, Matthew #85.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Henry held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Matthew in 27.
Highest recorded here: Henry #22 in 2023, Matthew #1 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Henry #45, 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 | Henry | Matthew |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Home ruler, estate ruler. | 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, via Old French Henri | Biblical Hebrew |
| Pronunciation | /ˈhɛnɹi/ | /ˈmæθ.juː/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Harry, Hal, Heinrich, Henri | 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 #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 | high | medium |
What the data shows
- Henry is recorded with a Germanic, via Old French Henri origin, while Matthew is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew origin.
- Henry and Matthew both have 2 syllables.
- Henry'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.
- The available evidence gives Henry a "high" Data Confidence level and Matthew a "medium" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.
How each name got here
Henry
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #102 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1993–2025
Highest recorded position: #4 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2023 (recorded 1993–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #6 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