Mathias vs William
Mathias and Williamcompared 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 William #3 among boys in Norway.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Mathias was ranked #406 and William #27 among boys in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2021, Mathias was ranked #433 and William #61 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Mathias was ranked #432 and William #73 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Mathias and William over time
Mathias and William appear together in 3 published lists, across 108 years of shared records. William held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Mathias in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
William 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Mathias and William changed places 12 times in Norway · Boys between 1945 and 2025, ending at #41 and #3.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 69 shared years in Norway · Boys, Mathias and William averaged 60.0 places apart, ending at #41 and #3.
- Longest-running competitions
Mathias and William were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 69 years, from 1945 to 2025, ending at #41 and #3.
List by list
Norway · Boys69 shared years, 1945–2025
Mathias held the stronger position in 31 of those years, William in 38.
Highest recorded here: Mathias #2 in 2004, William #1 in 2012.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Mathias #41, William #3.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Mathias held the stronger position in 0 of those years, William in 29.
Highest recorded here: Mathias #406 in 2024, William #7 in 2006.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Mathias #406, William #27.
Republic of Ireland · Boys10 shared years, 2001–2025
Mathias held the stronger position in 0 of those years, William in 10.
Highest recorded here: Mathias #396 in 2023, William #46 in 2008.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Mathias #432, William #73.
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 | William |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Commonly interpreted as 'resolute protector' or 'will helmet', combining the ideas of desire/will and protection. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Germanic (Old Frankish/Old High German Willehelm) |
| Pronunciation | /ˈwɪljəm/ | |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| 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) | Norway · Boys #3 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- William has a recorded origin (Germanic (Old Frankish/Old High German Willehelm)); Mathias does not have one recorded yet.
- Mathias and William both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for William; Mathias doesn't have one written yet.
- 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
William
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #277 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1952–2025
Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2009 (recorded 1952–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #11 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys