Mark vs Matthew
Mark 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.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2000, Mark was ranked #89 and Matthew #5 among boys in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2001, Mark was ranked #90 and Matthew #7 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Mark was ranked #177 and Matthew #42 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Mark was ranked #99 and Matthew #55 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Mark was ranked #169 and Matthew #73 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Mark was ranked #277 and Matthew #149 among boys in England and Wales.
Norway · Boys
In 2023, Mark was ranked #371 and Matthew #421 among boys in Norway.
Mark and Matthew over time
Mark and Matthew appear together in 6 published lists, across 253 years of shared records. Matthew held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Mark in 2.
The order between them changed and held in 3 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Mark reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 of those lists, Matthew 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 1972, Matthew moved ahead of Mark in New South Wales, Australia · Boys — #5 and #7 the year before became #7 and #4.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Mark and Matthew changed places 14 times in Norway · Boys between 1966 and 2023, ending at #371 and #421.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 45 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Boys, Mark and Matthew averaged 30.1 places apart, ending at #90 and #7.
- Longest-running competitions
Mark and Matthew were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 45 years, from 1957 to 2001, ending at #90 and #7.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Mark #55 in 1996, Matthew #6 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys62 shared years, 1964–2025
Mark held the stronger position in 38 of those years, Matthew in 24.
Highest recorded here: Mark #7 in 1974, Matthew #15 in 2007.
The order changed in 2002: Matthew moved ahead. In 2001 they stood at #16 and #22; by 2002 that had become #22 and #17.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Mark #99, Matthew #55.
Norway · Boys47 shared years, 1966–2023
Mark held the stronger position in 35 of those years, Matthew in 12.
Highest recorded here: Mark #211 in 1970, Matthew #267 in 1985.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Mark #371, Matthew #421.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys45 shared years, 1957–2001
Mark held the stronger position in 15 of those years, Matthew in 30.
Highest recorded here: Mark #2 in 1960, Matthew #1 in 1982.
The order changed in 1972: Matthew moved ahead. In 1971 they stood at #5 and #7; by 1972 that had become #7 and #4.
Most recent shared year, 2001: Mark #90, Matthew #7.
New Zealand · Boys42 shared years, 1958–2000
Mark held the stronger position in 19 of those years, Matthew in 23.
Highest recorded here: Mark #2 in 1974, Matthew #1 in 1990.
The order changed in 1978: Matthew moved ahead. In 1977 they stood at #5 and #7; by 1978 that had become #8 and #5.
Most recent shared year, 2000: Mark #89, Matthew #5.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Mark held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Matthew in 29.
Highest recorded here: Mark #55 in 1996, Matthew #6 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Mark #277, Matthew #149.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Mark held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Matthew in 28.
Highest recorded here: Mark #12 in 1999, Matthew #1 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Mark #177, 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 | Mark | Matthew |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | A form of the Latin name Marcus used in several languages. Saint Mark authored the second Gospel and is patron saint of Venice. | 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 | Latin | Biblical Hebrew |
| Pronunciation | /ˈmɑɹk/ | /ˈmæθ.juː/ |
| Syllables | 1 | 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 | Republic of Ireland · Boys #99 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #55 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Mark is recorded with a Latin origin, while Matthew is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew origin.
- Mark has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Matthew.
- Mark'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
Mark
Popularity journey
First recorded1950
First recorded at #362 among boys in Norway in 1950 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1952–2001
Highest recorded position: #2 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1960 (recorded 1952–2001).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #286 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