Mathias vs Nial
Mathias and Nialcompared 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.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2020, Mathias was ranked #467 and Nial #4608 among boys in England and Wales.
Mathias and Nial over time
Mathias and Nial appear together in 1 published list, across 20 years of shared records. Mathias held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Nial in 0.
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.
Nial reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Mathias 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.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys20 shared years, 1996–2020
Mathias held the stronger position in 13 of those years, Nial in 7.
Highest recorded here: Mathias #467 in 2020, Nial #953 in 2000.
The order changed in 2004: Mathias moved ahead. In 2003 they stood at #2470 and #1962; by 2004 that had become #1160 and #3651.
Most recent shared year, 2020: Mathias #467, Nial #4608.
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 | Mathias | Nial |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Boys #41 (2025) | England and Wales · Boys #4608 (2020) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Mathias has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Nial.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
How each name got here
Mathias
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #307 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1945–2025
Highest recorded position: #2 among boys in Norway, in 2004 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #41 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys
Nial
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #129 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1964–2005
Highest recorded position: #129 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1964 (recorded 1964–2005).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2020
Most recently recorded at #4608 among boys in England and Wales, in 2020.
England and Wales · Boys