Mathias vs Sam

Mathias and Samcompared 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.

Norway · Boys
In 2025, Mathias was ranked #41 and Sam #289 among boys in Norway.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Mathias was ranked #432 and Sam #50 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2021, Mathias was ranked #433 and Sam #113 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Mathias was ranked #406 and Sam #334 among boys in England and Wales.

Mathias and Sam over time

Mathias and Sam appear together in 3 published lists, across 94 years of shared records. Sam held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Mathias in 1.

In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.

Sam reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Mathias 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.

Longest-running competitions
Mathias and Sam were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 55 years, from 1960 to 2025, ending at #41 and #289.

List by list

Norway · Boys55 shared years, 1960–2025
Mathias held the stronger position in 55 of those years, Sam in 0.
Highest recorded here: Mathias #2 in 2004, Sam #171 in 2024.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Mathias #41, Sam #289.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Mathias held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Sam in 29.
Highest recorded here: Mathias #406 in 2024, Sam #47 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Mathias #406, Sam #334.
Republic of Ireland · Boys10 shared years, 2001–2025
Mathias held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Sam in 10.
Highest recorded here: Mathias #396 in 2023, Sam #38 in 2015.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Mathias #432, Sam #50.

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 Mathias

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

Mathias vs Erik
Over 69 shared years in Norway · Boys, Mathias rose about as far as Erik fell — from #307 and #27 in 1945 to #41 and #64 in 2025.
Mathias · Erik · 69 shared years, 1945–2025 · Mirrored each other
See the 2025 Norway ranking
Mathias vs Morten
Over 69 shared years in Norway · Boys, Mathias rose about as far as Morten fell — from #307 and #107 in 1945 to #41 and #214 in 2025.
Mathias · Morten · 69 shared years, 1945–2025 · Mirrored each other
See the 2025 Norway ranking
Mathias vs Nils
Over 69 shared years in Norway · Boys, Mathias rose about as far as Nils fell — from #307 and #26 in 1945 to #41 and #61 in 2025.
Mathias · Nils · 69 shared years, 1945–2025 · Mirrored each other
See the 2025 Norway ranking
Peter vs Mathias
Over 69 shared years in Norway · Boys, Mathias rose about as far as Peter fell — from #106 and #307 in 1945 to #174 and #41 in 2025.
Peter · Mathias · 69 shared years, 1945–2025 · Mirrored each other
See the 2025 Norway ranking

Side by side

Side-by-side comparison of Mathias, Sam
Field	Mathias	Sam
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	AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ
Most recent popularity observation	Norway · Boys #41 (2025)	Republic of Ireland · Boys #50 (2025)
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 Sam.
Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO.

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

Sam

Popularity journey

First recorded1959
First recorded at #340 among boys in Norway in 1959 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1983–2025
Highest recorded position: #38 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2015 (recorded 1983–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #289 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys