Jonathan vs Matthew
Jonathan 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, Jonathan was ranked #305 and Matthew #42 among boys in Northern Ireland.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2016, Jonathan was ranked #97 and Matthew #53 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2013, Jonathan was ranked #88 and Matthew #53 among boys in New Zealand.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Jonathan was ranked #223 and Matthew #55 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Jonathan was ranked #352 and Matthew #73 among boys in Scotland.
Norway · Boys
In 2023, Jonathan was ranked #80 and Matthew #421 among boys in Norway.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Jonathan was ranked #302 and Matthew #149 among boys in England and Wales.
Jonathan and Matthew over time
Jonathan and Matthew appear together in 6 published lists, across 270 years of shared records. Matthew held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Jonathan 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.
Jonathan reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, Matthew 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Jonathan and Matthew changed places 9 times in Norway · Boys between 1966 and 2023, ending at #80 and #421.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 54 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Boys, Jonathan and Matthew averaged 56.0 places apart, ending at #97 and #53.
- Longest-running competitions
Jonathan and Matthew were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 54 years, from 1963 to 2016, ending at #97 and #53.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Jonathan #39 in 1996, Matthew #6 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys62 shared years, 1964–2025
Jonathan held the stronger position in 24 of those years, Matthew in 38.
Highest recorded here: Jonathan #18 in 1981, Matthew #15 in 2007.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Jonathan #223, Matthew #55.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys54 shared years, 1963–2016
Jonathan held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Matthew in 54.
Highest recorded here: Jonathan #41 in 1980, Matthew #1 in 1982.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2016: Jonathan #97, Matthew #53.
New Zealand · Boys50 shared years, 1959–2013
Jonathan held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Matthew in 50.
Highest recorded here: Jonathan #15 in 1982, Matthew #1 in 1990.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2013: Jonathan #88, Matthew #53.
Norway · Boys47 shared years, 1966–2023
Jonathan held the stronger position in 41 of those years, Matthew in 6.
Highest recorded here: Jonathan #37 in 2010, Matthew #267 in 1985.
The order changed in 1979: Jonathan moved ahead. In 1978 they stood at #524 and #396; by 1979 that had become #326 and #505.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Jonathan #80, Matthew #421.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Jonathan held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Matthew in 29.
Highest recorded here: Jonathan #39 in 1996, Matthew #6 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Jonathan #302, Matthew #149.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Jonathan held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Matthew in 28.
Highest recorded here: Jonathan #20 in 1998, Matthew #1 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Jonathan #305, 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 | Jonathan | 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 | Not yet recorded | /ˈmæθ.juː/ |
| Syllables | 3 | 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 | Norway · Boys #93 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #55 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 76/100 | 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); Jonathan does not have one recorded yet.
- Jonathan has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Matthew.
- A meaning is recorded for Matthew; Jonathan doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ.
How each name got here
Jonathan
Popularity journey
First recorded1949
First recorded at #371 among boys in Norway in 1949 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1957–2013
Highest recorded position: #15 among boys in New Zealand, in 1982 (recorded 1957–2013).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #93 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