Lewis vs Matthew
Lewis 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.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Lewis was ranked #28 and Matthew #73 among boys in Scotland.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2014, Lewis was ranked #100 and Matthew #37 among boys in New Zealand.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Lewis was ranked #136 and Matthew #42 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Lewis was ranked #432 and Matthew #55 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Lewis was ranked #216 and Matthew #149 among boys in England and Wales.
Lewis and Matthew over time
Lewis and Matthew appear together in 3 published lists, across 99 years of shared records. Matthew held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Lewis in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Matthew reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, and Lewis 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.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Lewis and Matthew averaged 13.1 places apart, ending at #216 and #149.
- Longest-running competitions
Lewis and Matthew were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 42 years, from 1969 to 2025, ending at #432 and #55.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys42 shared years, 1969–2025
Lewis held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Matthew in 42.
Highest recorded here: Lewis #125 in 2017, Matthew #15 in 2007.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Lewis #432, Matthew #55.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Lewis held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Matthew in 21.
Highest recorded here: Lewis #10 in 2001, Matthew #6 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Lewis #216, Matthew #149.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Lewis held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Matthew in 28.
Highest recorded here: Lewis #20 in 2008, Matthew #1 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Lewis #136, 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 | Lewis | 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 | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #432 (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); Lewis does not have one recorded yet.
- Lewis and Matthew both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Matthew; Lewis doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Lewis
Popularity journey
First recorded1969
First recorded at #291 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1969 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #10 among boys in England and Wales, in 2001 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #432 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · 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