Jordan vs Matthew
Jordan 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, Jordan was ranked #404 and Matthew #42 among boys in Northern Ireland.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2023, Jordan was ranked #51 and Matthew #99 among boys in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2023, Jordan was ranked #53 and Matthew #85 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Jordan was ranked #179 and Matthew #55 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Jordan was ranked #169 and Matthew #73 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Jordan was ranked #213 and Matthew #149 among boys in England and Wales.
Jordan and Matthew over time
Jordan and Matthew appear together in 5 published lists, across 183 years of shared records. Matthew held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Jordan in 0.
The order between them changed and held in 2 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 3 of those lists, Jordan in 1. 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 2018, Jordan moved ahead of Matthew in New South Wales, Australia · Boys — #74 and #56 the year before became #58 and #70.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Jordan and Matthew changed places 4 times in Republic of Ireland · Boys between 1978 and 2025, ending at #179 and #55.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 38 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Boys, Jordan and Matthew averaged 28.8 places apart, ending at #53 and #85.
- Longest-running competitions
Jordan and Matthew were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 38 years, from 1985 to 2023, ending at #53 and #85.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Jordan #10 in 1997, Matthew #6 in 1996.
- Started together, ended far apart
In 1997 they stood at #6 and #1 in Northern Ireland · Boys, 5 places apart; by 2024 they were #404 and #42.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys47 shared years, 1978–2025
Jordan held the stronger position in 4 of those years, Matthew in 43.
Highest recorded here: Jordan #20 in 1999, Matthew #15 in 2007.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Jordan #179, Matthew #55.
New Zealand · Boys41 shared years, 1982–2023
Jordan held the stronger position in 5 of those years, Matthew in 36.
Highest recorded here: Jordan #7 in 1994, Matthew #1 in 1990.
The order changed in 2020: Jordan moved ahead. In 2019 they stood at #74 and #69; by 2020 that had become #56 and #100.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Jordan #51, Matthew #99.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys38 shared years, 1985–2023
Jordan held the stronger position in 6 of those years, Matthew in 32.
Highest recorded here: Jordan #14 in 1994, Matthew #1 in 1985.
The order changed in 2018: Jordan moved ahead. In 2017 they stood at #74 and #56; by 2018 that had become #58 and #70.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Jordan #53, Matthew #85.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Jordan held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Matthew in 29.
Highest recorded here: Jordan #10 in 1997, Matthew #6 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Jordan #213, Matthew #149.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Jordan held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Matthew in 28.
Highest recorded here: Jordan #6 in 1997, Matthew #1 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Jordan #404, 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 | Jordan | Matthew |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | From the Jordan River, from Hebrew Yarden ('descend, flow down'). Crusaders brought water from the river to baptize children in Europe after John the Baptist baptized Jesus there. | 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 (place name origin) | Biblical Hebrew |
| Pronunciation | /ˈd͡ʒɔɹ.dən/ | /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, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #90 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #55 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Jordan is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew (place name origin) origin, while Matthew is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew origin.
- Jordan and Matthew both have 2 syllables.
- Jordan'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, NZ.
How each name got here
Jordan
Popularity journey
First recorded1978
First recorded at #283 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1978 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1997–2024
Highest recorded position: #6 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 1997 (recorded 1997–2024).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #90 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