Matthew vs Ryan
Matthew and Ryancompared 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.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Matthew was ranked #42 and Ryan #104 among boys in Northern Ireland.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2023, Matthew was ranked #85 and Ryan #52 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Matthew was ranked #55 and Ryan #57 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2023, Matthew was ranked #99 and Ryan #57 among boys in New Zealand.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Matthew was ranked #73 and Ryan #104 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Matthew was ranked #149 and Ryan #132 among boys in England and Wales.
Norway · Boys
In 2023, Matthew was ranked #421 and Ryan #484 among boys in Norway.
Matthew and Ryan over time
Matthew and Ryan appear together in 6 published lists, across 247 years of shared records. Matthew held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Ryan in 1.
The order between them changed and held in 3 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 4 of those lists, and Ryan 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 2019, Ryan moved ahead of Matthew in England and Wales · Boys — #82 and #91 the year before became #99 and #95.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Matthew and Ryan changed places 8 times in Norway · Boys between 1977 and 2023, ending at #421 and #484.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Matthew and Ryan averaged 9.9 places apart, ending at #149 and #132.
- Longest-running competitions
Matthew and Ryan were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 51 years, from 1973 to 2023, ending at #85 and #52.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Matthew #6 in 1996, Ryan #7 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys55 shared years, 1971–2025
Matthew held the stronger position in 24 of those years, Ryan in 31.
Highest recorded here: Matthew #15 in 2007, Ryan #6 in 2008.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Matthew #55, Ryan #57.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys51 shared years, 1973–2023
Matthew held the stronger position in 31 of those years, Ryan in 20.
Highest recorded here: Matthew #1 in 1982, Ryan #8 in 2004.
The order changed in 2004: Ryan moved ahead. In 2003 they stood at #11 and #15; by 2004 that had become #13 and #8.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Matthew #85, Ryan #52.
New Zealand · Boys51 shared years, 1972–2023
Matthew held the stronger position in 33 of those years, Ryan in 18.
Highest recorded here: Matthew #1 in 1990, Ryan #10 in 2006.
The order changed in 2005: Ryan moved ahead. In 2004 they stood at #6 and #11; by 2005 that had become #13 and #11.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Matthew #99, Ryan #57.
Norway · Boys33 shared years, 1977–2023
Matthew held the stronger position in 24 of those years, Ryan in 9.
Highest recorded here: Matthew #267 in 1985, Ryan #249 in 2015.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Matthew #421, Ryan #484.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Matthew held the stronger position in 18 of those years, Ryan in 11.
Highest recorded here: Matthew #6 in 1996, Ryan #7 in 1996.
The order changed in 2019: Ryan moved ahead. In 2018 they stood at #82 and #91; by 2019 that had become #99 and #95.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Matthew #149, Ryan #132.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Matthew held the stronger position in 28 of those years, Ryan in 0.
Highest recorded here: Matthew #1 in 1997, Ryan #2 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Matthew #42, Ryan #104.
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 | Matthew | Ryan |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| 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. | The Anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Riain, a patronymic from the given name Rian. The exact meaning of Rian itself remains uncertain, despite a popular but unconfirmed 'little king' gloss. |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew | Irish (surname origin) |
| Pronunciation | /ˈmæθ.juː/ | /ˈɹaɪ.ən/ |
| 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 | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #55 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #57 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Matthew is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew origin, while Ryan is recorded with a Irish (surname origin) origin.
- Matthew has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Ryan.
- Matthew's recorded meaning differs from Ryan'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
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
Ryan
Popularity journey
First recorded1971
First recorded at #280 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1971 — 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: #2 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 1997 (recorded 1997–2024).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #81 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys