John vs Matthew
John 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.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, John was ranked #29 and Matthew #55 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, John was ranked #67 and Matthew #42 among boys in Northern Ireland.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2019, John was ranked #97 and Matthew #69 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, John was ranked #78 and Matthew #73 among boys in Scotland.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2020, John was ranked #99 and Matthew #100 among boys in New Zealand.
Norway · Boys
In 2023, John was ranked #144 and Matthew #421 among boys in Norway.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, John was ranked #164 and Matthew #149 among boys in England and Wales.
John and Matthew over time
John and Matthew appear together in 6 published lists, across 290 years of shared records. Matthew held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, John in 2.
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.
John reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 of those lists, and Matthew 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 moved ahead of the other
In 1971, Matthew moved ahead of John in New South Wales, Australia · Boys — #8 and #11 the year before became #10 and #7.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
John and Matthew changed places 8 times in Republic of Ireland · Boys between 1964 and 2025, ending at #29 and #55.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, John and Matthew averaged 47.1 places apart, ending at #164 and #149.
- Longest-running competitions
John and Matthew were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 61 years, from 1957 to 2019, ending at #97 and #69.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — John #46 in 1996, Matthew #6 in 1996.
List by list
New Zealand · Boys63 shared years, 1958–2020
John held the stronger position in 18 of those years, Matthew in 45.
Highest recorded here: John #3 in 1958, Matthew #1 in 1990.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2020: John #99, Matthew #100.
Republic of Ireland · Boys62 shared years, 1964–2025
John held the stronger position in 52 of those years, Matthew in 10.
Highest recorded here: John #1 in 1964, Matthew #15 in 2007.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: John #29, Matthew #55.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys61 shared years, 1957–2019
John held the stronger position in 14 of those years, Matthew in 47.
Highest recorded here: John #2 in 1957, Matthew #1 in 1982.
The order changed in 1971: Matthew moved ahead. In 1970 they stood at #8 and #11; by 1971 that had become #10 and #7.
Most recent shared year, 2019: John #97, Matthew #69.
Norway · Boys47 shared years, 1966–2023
John held the stronger position in 47 of those years, Matthew in 0.
Highest recorded here: John #15 in 1966, Matthew #267 in 1985.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: John #144, Matthew #421.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
John held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Matthew in 29.
Highest recorded here: John #46 in 1996, Matthew #6 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: John #164, Matthew #149.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
John held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Matthew in 28.
Highest recorded here: John #17 in 1997, Matthew #1 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: John #67, 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 | John | Matthew |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | From Hebrew Yochanan, 'Yahweh is gracious', via Greek Ioannes and Latin Iohannes. One of the most widespread names in Christian Europe, associated with both John the Baptist and the apostle John. | 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 | Biblical Hebrew |
| Pronunciation | /ˈjɔn/ | /ˈmæθ.juː/ |
| Syllables | 1 | 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 | Republic of Ireland · Boys #29 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #55 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Both John and Matthew share a recorded Biblical Hebrew origin.
- John has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Matthew.
- John'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
John
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #20 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1952–2019
Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1952 (recorded 1952–2019).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #161 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · 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