Hunter vs Mathias
Hunter and Mathiascompared 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.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2021, Hunter was ranked #73 and Mathias #433 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Hunter was ranked #78 and Mathias #406 among boys in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Hunter was ranked #159 and Mathias #432 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Hunter and Mathias over time
Hunter and Mathias appear together in 2 published lists, across 37 years of shared records. Hunter held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Mathias 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.
Hunter reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Mathias 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
Hunter and Mathias changed places 5 times in England and Wales · Boys between 1996 and 2024, ending at #78 and #406.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Hunter held the stronger position in 23 of those years, Mathias in 5.
Highest recorded here: Hunter #44 in 2018, Mathias #406 in 2024.
The order changed in 2005: Hunter moved ahead. In 2004 they stood at #1878 and #1160; by 2005 that had become #1135 and #1617.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Hunter #78, Mathias #406.
Republic of Ireland · Boys8 shared years, 2014–2025
Hunter held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Mathias in 0.
Highest recorded here: Hunter #91 in 2021, Mathias #396 in 2023.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Hunter #159, Mathias #432.
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 | Hunter | Mathias |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | An English occupational surname, from Old English 'hunta'/'huntian' ('to hunt') — someone who hunted for a living. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | English, an occupational surname describing someone who hunted | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈhʌn.təɹ/ | |
| 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 | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #60 (2025) | Norway · Boys #41 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Hunter has a recorded origin (English, an occupational surname describing someone who hunted); Mathias does not have one recorded yet.
- Hunter and Mathias both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Hunter; Mathias doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
How each name got here
Hunter
Popularity journey
First recorded1996
First recorded at #2357 among boys in England and Wales in 1996 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Boys
Highest recorded1999–2023
Highest recorded position: #5 among boys in New Zealand, in 2017 (recorded 1999–2023).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #60 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Mathias
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #307 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1945–2025
Highest recorded position: #2 among boys in Norway, in 2004 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #41 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys