Jonah vs Matthew
Jonah 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, Jonah was ranked #48 and Matthew #42 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Jonah was ranked #223 and Matthew #55 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Jonah was ranked #209 and Matthew #73 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Jonah was ranked #145 and Matthew #149 among boys in England and Wales.
Norway · Boys
In 2023, Jonah was ranked #208 and Matthew #421 among boys in Norway.
Jonah and Matthew over time
Jonah and Matthew appear together in 4 published lists, across 97 years of shared records. Matthew held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Jonah in 1.
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, and Jonah 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
Jonah and Matthew changed places 4 times in Northern Ireland · Boys between 1999 and 2024, ending at #48 and #42.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Jonah held the stronger position in 2 of those years, Matthew in 27.
Highest recorded here: Jonah #133 in 2022, Matthew #6 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Jonah #145, Matthew #149.
Republic of Ireland · Boys29 shared years, 1992–2025
Jonah held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Matthew in 29.
Highest recorded here: Jonah #135 in 2018, Matthew #15 in 2007.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Jonah #223, Matthew #55.
Northern Ireland · Boys24 shared years, 1999–2024
Jonah held the stronger position in 2 of those years, Matthew in 21.
Highest recorded here: Jonah #23 in 2021, Matthew #1 in 1999.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Jonah #48, Matthew #42.
Norway · Boys15 shared years, 1996–2023
Jonah held the stronger position in 12 of those years, Matthew in 3.
Highest recorded here: Jonah #180 in 2009, Matthew #330 in 1998.
The order changed in 2006: Jonah moved ahead. In 2005 they stood at #387 and #372; by 2006 that had become #229 and #514.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Jonah #208, Matthew #421.
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 | Jonah | Matthew |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | 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 | Not yet recorded | Biblical Hebrew |
| Pronunciation | /ˈmæθ.juː/ | |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #223 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #55 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 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
- Matthew has a recorded origin (Biblical Hebrew); Jonah does not have one recorded yet.
- Jonah and Matthew both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Matthew; Jonah doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO.
How each name got here
Jonah
Popularity journey
First recorded1992
First recorded at #337 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1992 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1999–2024
Highest recorded position: #23 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2021 (recorded 1999–2024).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #253 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