Matthew vs Roald

Matthew and Roaldcompared 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 2005, Matthew was ranked #15 and Roald #3849 among boys in England and Wales.
Norway · Boys
In 2023, Matthew was ranked #421 and Roald #529 among boys in Norway.

Matthew and Roald over time

Matthew and Roald appear together in 1 published list, across 38 years of shared records. Matthew held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Roald 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.

Roald reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Matthew 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.

Repeatedly exchanged positions
Matthew and Roald changed places 9 times in Norway · Boys between 1966 and 2023, ending at #421 and #529.
Longest-running competitions
Matthew and Roald were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 38 years, from 1966 to 2023, ending at #421 and #529.

List by list

Norway · Boys38 shared years, 1966–2023
Matthew held the stronger position in 21 of those years, Roald in 17.
Highest recorded here: Matthew #267 in 1985, Roald #137 in 1966.
The order changed in 1998: Matthew moved ahead. In 1997 they stood at #582 and #535; by 1998 that had become #330 and #586.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Matthew #421, Roald #529.

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.

Matthew vs Adrian
In 1964 they stood at #59 and #65 in Republic of Ireland · Boys, 6 places apart; by 2025 they were #55 and #348.
Matthew · Adrian · 62 shared years, 1964–2025 · Started together, ended far apart
See the 2025 Republic of Ireland ranking
Matthew vs Ashley
Both reached their highest recorded position in New Zealand · Boys within 2 years — Matthew #1 in 1990, Ashley #53 in 1989.
Matthew · Ashley · 11 shared years, 1984–1995 · Peaked in the same years
See the 1990 New Zealand ranking
Matthew vs Barry
Both reached their highest recorded position in Northern Ireland · Boys within 2 years — Matthew #1 in 1997, Barry #90 in 1997.
Matthew · Barry · 21 shared years, 1997–2022 · Peaked in the same years
See the 1997 Northern Ireland ranking
Matthew vs Ben
Both reached their highest recorded position in New South Wales, Australia · Boys within 2 years — Matthew #1 in 1982, Ben #41 in 1981.
Matthew · Ben · 26 shared years, 1976–2004 · Peaked in the same years
See the 1982 New South Wales, Australia ranking

Side by side

Side-by-side comparison of Matthew, Roald
Field	Matthew	Roald
Record type	Editorially researched profile	Official statistical record (evidence-only)
Gender usage	male	male
Meaning	From 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.	Not yet recorded
Origin	Biblical Hebrew	Not yet recorded
Pronunciation	/ˈmæθ.juː/	Not yet recorded
Syllables	2	1
Common variants / nicknames	Not yet recorded	Not yet recorded
Recorded regional usage	AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ	GB-ENW, NO
Most recent popularity observation	Republic of Ireland · Boys #55 (2025)	Norway · Boys #516 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)	90/100	Not yet recorded
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)	82/100	94/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)	100/100	60/100
Data Confidence	medium	medium

What the data shows

Matthew has a recorded origin (Biblical Hebrew); Roald does not have one recorded yet.
Matthew has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Roald.
A meaning is recorded for Matthew; Roald doesn't have one written yet.
Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, NO.

How each name got here

Matthew

Popularity journey

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
Highest recorded1957–2023
Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1982 (recorded 1957–2023).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #55 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys

Roald

Popularity journey

First recorded1945
First recorded at #77 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: #64 among boys in Norway, in 1948 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #516 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys