Matilde vs Shea
Matilde and Sheacompared 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 · Girls
In 2024, Matilde was ranked #1036 and Shea #3015 among girls in England and Wales.
Matilde and Shea over time
Matilde and Shea appear together in 1 published list, across 24 years of shared records. Matilde held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Shea 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.
Shea reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Matilde 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 · Girls24 shared years, 1996–2024
Matilde held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Shea in 4.
Highest recorded here: Matilde #864 in 2019, Shea #1728 in 2001.
The order changed in 2010: Matilde moved ahead. In 2009 they stood at #2326 and #2148; by 2010 that had become #1520 and #4688.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Matilde #1036, Shea #3015.
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 | Matilde | Shea |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | The Anglicized form of Séaghdha, occasionally used as a feminine name as well. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Irish |
| Pronunciation | /ˈʃeɪ/ | |
| Syllables | 3 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Sé, Séaghdha, Shay |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, IE, NO | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #112 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #125 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | high |
What the data shows
- Shea has a recorded origin (Irish); Matilde does not have one recorded yet.
- Matilde has 3 syllables, compared with 1 for Shea.
- A meaning is recorded for Shea; Matilde doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE.
- The available evidence gives Matilde a "medium" Data Confidence level and Shea a "high" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.
How each name got here
Matilde
Popularity journey
First recorded1981
First recorded at #648 among girls in Norway in 1981 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1981–2025
Highest recorded position: #76 among girls in Norway, in 2007 (recorded 1981–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #112 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls
Shea
Popularity journey
First recorded1976
First recorded at #316 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1976 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1997–2024
Highest recorded position: #25 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2007 (recorded 1997–2024).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #125 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys