James vs Matthew
James 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, James was ranked #1 and Matthew #42 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, James was ranked #4 and Matthew #55 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2023, James was ranked #12 and Matthew #85 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, James was ranked #14 and Matthew #73 among boys in Scotland.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2023, James was ranked #15 and Matthew #99 among boys in New Zealand.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2025, James was ranked #42 and Matthew #153 among boys in England and Wales.
Norway · Boys
In 2023, James was ranked #312 and Matthew #421 among boys in Norway.
James and Matthew over time
James and Matthew appear together in 6 published lists, across 299 years of shared records. James held the stronger position in more years in 6 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.
Matthew reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 of those lists, James in 2. 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 moved ahead of the other
In 2010, James moved ahead of Matthew in Northern Ireland · Boys — #4 and #2 the year before became #3 and #4.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
James and Matthew changed places 4 times in New South Wales, Australia · Boys between 1957 and 2023, ending at #12 and #85.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 30 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, James and Matthew averaged 38.9 places apart, ending at #42 and #153.
- Longest-running competitions
James and Matthew were both ranked in England and Wales · Boys for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #42 and #153.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — James #2 in 1997, Matthew #6 in 1996.
List by list
New South Wales, Australia · Boys67 shared years, 1957–2023
James held the stronger position in 38 of those years, Matthew in 29.
Highest recorded here: James #3 in 1996, Matthew #1 in 1982.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: James #12, Matthew #85.
New Zealand · Boys65 shared years, 1958–2023
James held the stronger position in 39 of those years, Matthew in 26.
Highest recorded here: James #2 in 1993, Matthew #1 in 1990.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: James #15, Matthew #99.
Republic of Ireland · Boys62 shared years, 1964–2025
James held the stronger position in 62 of those years, Matthew in 0.
Highest recorded here: James #1 in 1994, Matthew #15 in 2007.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: James #4, Matthew #55.
Norway · Boys47 shared years, 1966–2023
James held the stronger position in 42 of those years, Matthew in 5.
Highest recorded here: James #218 in 1978, Matthew #267 in 1985.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: James #312, Matthew #421.
England and Wales · Boys30 shared years, 1996–2025
James held the stronger position in 30 of those years, Matthew in 0.
Highest recorded here: James #2 in 1997, Matthew #6 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: James #42, Matthew #153.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
James held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Matthew in 12.
Highest recorded here: James #1 in 2015, Matthew #1 in 1997.
The order changed in 2010: James moved ahead. In 2009 they stood at #4 and #2; by 2010 that had become #3 and #4.
Most recent shared year, 2024: James #1, 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 | James | Matthew |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Supplanter, held by the heel (traditional interpretation via Jacob). | 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 | Hebrew, via Late Latin Iacomus | Biblical Hebrew |
| Pronunciation | /ˈdʒeɪmz/ | /ˈmæθ.juː/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Jim, Jamie, Iacomus | 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 | Republic of Ireland · Boys #4 (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
- James is recorded with a Hebrew, via Late Latin Iacomus origin, while Matthew is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew origin.
- James and Matthew both have 2 syllables.
- James'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 James 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
James
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #344 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1997–2024
Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2015 (recorded 1997–2024).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #42 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
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 #153 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Boys