Mats vs Theodor
Mats and Theodorcompared 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, Mats was ranked #228 and Theodor #11 among boys in Norway.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2020, Mats was ranked #4608 and Theodor #627 among boys in England and Wales.
Mats and Theodor over time
Mats and Theodor appear together in 1 published list, across 43 years of shared records. Mats held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Theodor 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.
Mats reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Theodor 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 took the other's place near the top
In Norway · Boys, Theodor moved into the top 50 at #37 in 2006 as Mats fell out of it to #59, having been #40 the year before.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2006, Theodor moved ahead of Mats in Norway · Boys — #40 and #46 the year before became #59 and #37.
- Mirrored each other
Over 43 shared years in Norway · Boys, Theodor rose about as far as Mats fell — from #140 and #586 in 1978 to #228 and #11 in 2025.
- Longest-running competitions
Mats and Theodor were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 43 years, from 1978 to 2025, ending at #228 and #11.
List by list
Norway · Boys43 shared years, 1978–2025
Mats held the stronger position in 23 of those years, Theodor in 20.
Highest recorded here: Mats #21 in 1989, Theodor #8 in 2024.
The order changed in 2006: Theodor moved ahead. In 2005 they stood at #40 and #46; by 2006 that had become #59 and #37.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Mats #228, Theodor #11.
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 | Theodor |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | The German form of Theodore, and a Scandinavian, Czech and Romanian variant of Teodor — from Greek 'theos' (god) and 'doron' (gift), 'gift of God'. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Greek roots, transmitted through German and Scandinavian naming traditions as a Teodor variant |
| Pronunciation | /ˈteː.o.doːɐ̯/ | |
| Syllables | 1 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, NO | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Boys #228 (2025) | Norway · Boys #11 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 60/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Theodor has a recorded origin (Greek roots, transmitted through German and Scandinavian naming traditions as a Teodor variant); Mats does not have one recorded yet.
- Mats has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Theodor.
- A meaning is recorded for Theodor; 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
Theodor
Popularity journey
First recorded1948
First recorded at #363 among boys in Norway in 1948 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1948–2025
Highest recorded position: #8 among boys in Norway, in 2024 (recorded 1948–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #11 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys