Isaac vs Matthew
Isaac 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.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Isaac was ranked #26 and Matthew #42 among boys in Northern Ireland.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2023, Isaac was ranked #33 and Matthew #85 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Isaac was ranked #37 and Matthew #149 among boys in England and Wales.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2023, Isaac was ranked #46 and Matthew #99 among boys in New Zealand.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Isaac was ranked #49 and Matthew #73 among boys in Scotland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Isaac was ranked #104 and Matthew #55 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Norway · Boys
In 2023, Isaac was ranked #214 and Matthew #421 among boys in Norway.
Isaac and Matthew over time
Isaac and Matthew appear together in 6 published lists, across 198 years of shared records. Matthew held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Isaac in 2.
The order between them changed and held in 5 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 6 of those lists, and Isaac 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.
- One took the other's place near the top
In Northern Ireland · Boys, Isaac moved into the top 50 at #27 in 2023 as Matthew fell out of it to #57, having been #31 the year before.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2010, Isaac moved ahead of Matthew in England and Wales · Boys — #41 and #38 the year before became #37 and #41.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Isaac and Matthew changed places 5 times in Norway · Boys between 1974 and 2023, ending at #214 and #421.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Isaac and Matthew averaged 53.2 places apart, ending at #37 and #149.
- Longest-running competitions
Isaac and Matthew were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 33 years, from 1990 to 2023, ending at #33 and #85.
List by list
New Zealand · Boys41 shared years, 1981–2023
Isaac held the stronger position in 13 of those years, Matthew in 28.
Highest recorded here: Isaac #17 in 2010, Matthew #1 in 1990.
The order changed in 2010: Isaac moved ahead. In 2009 they stood at #26 and #22; by 2010 that had become #17 and #34.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Isaac #46, Matthew #99.
Republic of Ireland · Boys38 shared years, 1964–2025
Isaac held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Matthew in 38.
Highest recorded here: Isaac #77 in 2014, Matthew #15 in 2007.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Isaac #104, Matthew #55.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys33 shared years, 1990–2023
Isaac held the stronger position in 15 of those years, Matthew in 18.
Highest recorded here: Isaac #8 in 2015, Matthew #1 in 1990.
The order changed in 2009: Isaac moved ahead. In 2008 they stood at #23 and #22; by 2009 that had become #21 and #22.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Isaac #33, Matthew #85.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Isaac held the stronger position in 15 of those years, Matthew in 14.
Highest recorded here: Isaac #20 in 2015, Matthew #6 in 1996.
The order changed in 2010: Isaac moved ahead. In 2009 they stood at #41 and #38; by 2010 that had become #37 and #41.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Isaac #37, Matthew #149.
Norway · Boys29 shared years, 1974–2023
Isaac held the stronger position in 17 of those years, Matthew in 12.
Highest recorded here: Isaac #164 in 2014, Matthew #267 in 1985.
The order changed in 2002: Isaac moved ahead. In 2001 they stood at #461 and #427; by 2002 that had become #437 and #489.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Isaac #214, Matthew #421.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Isaac held the stronger position in 4 of those years, Matthew in 24.
Highest recorded here: Isaac #20 in 2020, Matthew #1 in 1997.
The order changed in 2023: Isaac moved ahead. In 2022 they stood at #40 and #31; by 2023 that had become #27 and #57.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Isaac #26, 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 | Isaac | Matthew |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Traditionally understood as 'he will laugh' or 'he laughs', tied to the biblical narrative in which Abraham and Sarah laugh at the prophecy of Isaac's birth in their old age. | 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 | Biblical Hebrew, transmitted into English via Greek Isaak and Late Latin Isaac | Biblical Hebrew |
| Pronunciation | /ˈaɪzək/ | /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, NO, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #26 (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 | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Isaac is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew, transmitted into English via Greek Isaak and Late Latin Isaac origin, while Matthew is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew origin.
- Isaac and Matthew both have 2 syllables.
- Isaac'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.
How each name got here
Isaac
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #232 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1990–2025
Highest recorded position: #8 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2015 (recorded 1990–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #26 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