Namewise

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 2024, Joshua was ranked #50 and Matthew #149 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 239 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 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Joshua and Matthew averaged 36.2 places apart, ending at #50 and #149.

  • Longest-running competitions

    Joshua and Matthew were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 53 years, from 1971 to 2023, ending at #93 and #85.

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 · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024

    Joshua held the stronger position in 29 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, 2024: Joshua #50, Matthew #149.

  • 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.

Where to go next

Comparisons that share a name, a rule or a published list with this one. Each is an existing comparison page with its own evidence — nothing here says these pairs are alike.

Other comparisons involving Joshua

Pairs where Joshua shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Other comparisons involving Matthew

Pairs where Matthew shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Other pairs with the same kind of relationship

Pairs that qualify under the same rule as this one — one moved ahead of the other.

All one moved ahead of the other→

Other pairs from New Zealand lists

Pairs measured inside New Zealand's own published lists, where this pair's strongest relationship is also recorded. Positions in these lists are not comparable with another registrar's.

New Zealand overview→

Other pairs ranked together in the 2020s

Pairs both ranked in the same published list at some point between 2020 and 2029.

The 2020s across all registrars→

Side by side

Side-by-side comparison of Joshua, Matthew
FieldJoshuaMatthew
Record typeEditorially researched profileEditorially researched profile
Gender usagemalemale
MeaningFrom 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.
OriginBiblical HebrewBiblical Hebrew
Pronunciation/ˈd͡ʒɑʃ.u.ə//ˈmæθ.juː/
Syllables22
Common variants / nicknamesNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
Recorded regional usageAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ
Most recent popularity observationRepublic of Ireland · Boys #81 (2025)Republic of Ireland · Boys #55 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)90/10090/100
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)88/10082/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)100/100100/100
Data Confidencemediummedium

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

  1. 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

  2. Highest recorded1971–2024

    Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1993 (recorded 1971–2024).

    New South Wales, Australia · Boys

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #405 among boys in Norway, in 2025.

    Norway · Boys

Matthew

Popularity journey

  1. 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

  2. Highest recorded1957–2023

    Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1982 (recorded 1957–2023).

    New South Wales, Australia · Boys

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #55 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.

    Republic of Ireland · Boys