Mats vs Paul
Mats and Paulcompared 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 2024, Mats was ranked #177 and Paul #370 among boys in Norway.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2020, Mats was ranked #4608 and Paul #384 among boys in England and Wales.
Mats and Paul over time
Mats and Paul appear together in 1 published list, across 73 years of shared records. Mats held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Paul 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.
Paul reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Mats 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.
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 1980, Mats moved ahead of Paul in Norway · Boys — #153 and #119 the year before became #115 and #139.
- Longest-running competitions
Mats and Paul were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 73 years, from 1949 to 2024, ending at #177 and #370.
List by list
Norway · Boys73 shared years, 1949–2024
Mats held the stronger position in 46 of those years, Paul in 27.
Highest recorded here: Mats #21 in 1989, Paul #72 in 1949.
The order changed in 1980: Mats moved ahead. In 1979 they stood at #153 and #119; by 1980 that had become #115 and #139.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Mats #177, Paul #370.
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 | Mats | Paul |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | From the Roman name Paulus, meaning 'small' in Latin. Saint Paul, originally named Saul, converted to Christianity and became a key missionary figure, authoring several New Testament epistles. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Latin |
| Pronunciation | /ˈpɔːl/ | |
| Syllables | 1 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, NO | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Boys #228 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #286 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 60/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Paul has a recorded origin (Latin); Mats does not have one recorded yet.
- Mats and Paul both have 1 syllable.
- A meaning is recorded for Paul; Mats doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, NO.
How each name got here
Mats
Popularity journey
First recorded1949
First recorded at #330 among boys in Norway in 1949 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1949–2025
Highest recorded position: #21 among boys in Norway, in 1989 (recorded 1949–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #228 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys
Paul
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #73 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1954–1998
Highest recorded position: #3 among boys in New Zealand, in 1965 (recorded 1954–1998).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #286 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys