Namewise

Matthew vs Oscar

Matthew and Oscarcompared 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 · Boys

    In 2025, Matthew was ranked #153 and Oscar #8 among boys in England and Wales.

  • New Zealand · Boys

    In 2023, Matthew was ranked #99 and Oscar #20 among boys in New Zealand.

  • Scotland · Boys

    In 2024, Matthew was ranked #73 and Oscar #22 among boys in Scotland.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Boys

    In 2023, Matthew was ranked #85 and Oscar #26 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.

  • Republic of Ireland · Boys

    In 2025, Matthew was ranked #55 and Oscar #31 among boys in Republic of Ireland.

  • Northern Ireland · Boys

    In 2024, Matthew was ranked #42 and Oscar #34 among boys in Northern Ireland.

  • Norway · Boys

    In 2023, Matthew was ranked #421 and Oscar #51 among boys in Norway.

Matthew and Oscar over time

Matthew and Oscar appear together in 6 published lists, across 188 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.

The order between them changed and held in 5 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.

Matthew reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 6 of those lists, and Oscar 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.

List by list

  • Norway · Boys46 shared years, 1966–2023

    Matthew held the stronger position in 15 of those years, Oscar in 31.

    Highest recorded here: Matthew #267 in 1985, Oscar #35 in 2013.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2023: Matthew #421, Oscar #51.

  • Republic of Ireland · Boys38 shared years, 1969–2025

    Matthew held the stronger position in 32 of those years, Oscar in 6.

    Highest recorded here: Matthew #15 in 2007, Oscar #30 in 2021.

    The order changed in 2020: Oscar moved ahead. In 2019 they stood at #27 and #43; by 2020 that had become #39 and #31.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Matthew #55, Oscar #31.

  • England and Wales · Boys30 shared years, 1996–2025

    Matthew held the stronger position in 13 of those years, Oscar in 17.

    Highest recorded here: Matthew #6 in 1996, Oscar #7 in 2013.

    The order changed in 2009: Oscar moved ahead. In 2008 they stood at #28 and #30; by 2009 that had become #38 and #23.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Matthew #153, Oscar #8.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Boys25 shared years, 1999–2023

    Matthew held the stronger position in 12 of those years, Oscar in 13.

    Highest recorded here: Matthew #6 in 1999, Oscar #21 in 2018.

    The order changed in 2011: Oscar moved ahead. In 2010 they stood at #25 and #37; by 2011 that had become #34 and #30.

    Most recent shared year, 2023: Matthew #85, Oscar #26.

  • Northern Ireland · Boys25 shared years, 1999–2024

    Matthew held the stronger position in 23 of those years, Oscar in 2.

    Highest recorded here: Matthew #1 in 1999, Oscar #24 in 2014.

    The order changed in 2023: Oscar moved ahead. In 2022 they stood at #31 and #51; by 2023 that had become #57 and #25.

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Matthew #42, Oscar #34.

  • New Zealand · Boys24 shared years, 1998–2023

    Matthew held the stronger position in 14 of those years, Oscar in 10.

    Highest recorded here: Matthew #2 in 1998, Oscar #11 in 2022.

    The order changed in 2013: Oscar moved ahead. In 2012 they stood at #36 and #42; by 2013 that had become #53 and #34.

    Most recent shared year, 2023: Matthew #99, Oscar #20.

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 Matthew

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

Other comparisons involving Oscar

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

Other pairs with the same kind of relationship

Pairs that qualify under the same rule as this one — one took the other's place near the top.

All one took the other's place near the top→

Other pairs from Northern Ireland lists

Pairs measured inside Northern Ireland's own published lists, where this pair's strongest relationship is also recorded. Positions in these lists are not comparable with another registrar's.

Northern Ireland overview→

Other pairs ranked together in the 2020s

Pairs both ranked in the same published list at some point between 2020 and 2029.

The 2020s across all registrars→

Side by side

Side-by-side comparison of Matthew, Oscar
FieldMatthewOscar
Record typeEditorially researched profileEditorially researched profile
Gender usagemalemale
MeaningFrom Greek Matthaios, from Hebrew Mattithiah, combining 'mattat' (gift) with 'Yahweh' — 'gift of God'. Matthew was a tax collector and one of the twelve apostles, traditionally credited as author of the first Gospel.Possibly 'deer friend' (Irish), or possibly derived from an Old English/Old Norse name meaning 'god spear' — the origin is genuinely disputed.
OriginBiblical HebrewDisputed — possibly Irish, possibly Old English/Old Norse
Pronunciation/ˈmæθ.juː//ˈɑskər/
Syllables22
Common variants / nicknamesNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
Recorded regional usageAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ
Most recent popularity observationRepublic of Ireland · Boys #55 (2025)England and Wales · Boys #8 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)90/10090/100
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)82/10094/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)100/100100/100
Data Confidencemediummedium

What the data shows

  • Matthew is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew origin, while Oscar is recorded with a Disputed — possibly Irish, possibly Old English/Old Norse origin.
  • Matthew and Oscar both have 2 syllables.
  • Matthew's recorded meaning differs from Oscar's — see the table above for each.
  • Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ.

How each name got here

Matthew

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1957

    First recorded at #78 among boys in New South Wales, Australia in 1957 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    New South Wales, Australia · Boys

  2. Highest recorded1957–2023

    Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1982 (recorded 1957–2023).

    New South Wales, Australia · Boys

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #153 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Boys

Oscar

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1945

    First recorded at #263 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    Norway · Boys

  2. Highest recorded1996–2025

    Highest recorded position: #7 among boys in England and Wales, in 2013 (recorded 1996–2025).

    England and Wales · Boys

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #8 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Boys