Joshua vs Matthew
Joshua 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, Joshua was ranked #63 and Matthew #42 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2025, Joshua was ranked #53 and Matthew #153 among boys in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Joshua was ranked #81 and Matthew #55 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Joshua was ranked #60 and Matthew #73 among boys in Scotland.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2023, Joshua was ranked #67 and Matthew #99 among boys in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2023, Joshua was ranked #93 and Matthew #85 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Norway · Boys
In 2023, Joshua was ranked #369 and Matthew #421 among boys in Norway.
Joshua and Matthew over time
Joshua and Matthew appear together in 6 published lists, across 240 years of shared records. Joshua held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Matthew 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.
Matthew reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 5 of those lists, Joshua 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 1995, Joshua moved ahead of Matthew in New Zealand · Boys — #3 and #1 the year before became #1 and #2.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Joshua and Matthew changed places 6 times in Norway · Boys between 1973 and 2023, ending at #369 and #421.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 30 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Joshua and Matthew averaged 38.3 places apart, ending at #53 and #153.
- Longest-running competitions
Joshua and Matthew were both ranked in England and Wales · Boys for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #53 and #153.
List by list
New South Wales, Australia · Boys53 shared years, 1971–2023
Joshua held the stronger position in 30 of those years, Matthew in 23.
Highest recorded here: Joshua #1 in 1993, Matthew #1 in 1982.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Joshua #93, Matthew #85.
New Zealand · Boys49 shared years, 1974–2023
Joshua held the stronger position in 28 of those years, Matthew in 21.
Highest recorded here: Joshua #1 in 1995, Matthew #1 in 1990.
The order changed in 1995: Joshua moved ahead. In 1994 they stood at #3 and #1; by 1995 that had become #1 and #2.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Joshua #67, Matthew #99.
Republic of Ireland · Boys47 shared years, 1974–2025
Joshua held the stronger position in 2 of those years, Matthew in 45.
Highest recorded here: Joshua #17 in 2003, Matthew #15 in 2007.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Joshua #81, Matthew #55.
Norway · Boys33 shared years, 1973–2023
Joshua held the stronger position in 21 of those years, Matthew in 12.
Highest recorded here: Joshua #255 in 2007, Matthew #267 in 1985.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Joshua #369, Matthew #421.
England and Wales · Boys30 shared years, 1996–2025
Joshua held the stronger position in 30 of those years, Matthew in 0.
Highest recorded here: Joshua #2 in 2002, Matthew #6 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Joshua #53, Matthew #153.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Joshua held the stronger position in 2 of those years, Matthew in 26.
Highest recorded here: Joshua #6 in 2002, Matthew #1 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Joshua #63, 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 | Joshua | Matthew |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | From Hebrew Yehoshua, combining 'yeho' (referring to God) with 'yasha' ('to save') — 'Yahweh is salvation'. Joshua succeeded Moses as leader of the Israelites in the Old Testament. | 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 | /ˈd͡ʒɑʃ.u.ə/ | /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, NO, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Boys #53 (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
- Both Joshua and Matthew share a recorded Biblical Hebrew origin.
- Joshua and Matthew both have 2 syllables.
- Joshua'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
Joshua
Popularity journey
First recorded1971
First recorded at #77 among boys in New South Wales, Australia in 1971 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Highest recorded1971–2024
Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1993 (recorded 1971–2024).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #53 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