Matthew vs Thomas
Matthew and Thomascompared 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 Thomas #11 among boys in Northern Ireland.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2023, Matthew was ranked #85 and Thomas #13 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Matthew was ranked #55 and Thomas #16 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2023, Matthew was ranked #99 and Thomas #18 among boys in New Zealand.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Matthew was ranked #73 and Thomas #20 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Matthew was ranked #149 and Thomas #26 among boys in England and Wales.
Norway · Boys
In 2023, Matthew was ranked #421 and Thomas #101 among boys in Norway.
Matthew and Thomas over time
Matthew and Thomas appear together in 6 published lists, across 298 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
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.
Matthew reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 of those lists, Thomas in 2. 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 2017, Thomas moved ahead of Matthew in Northern Ireland · Boys — #9 and #14 the year before became #11 and #7.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Matthew and Thomas changed places 4 times in New Zealand · Boys between 1958 and 2023, ending at #99 and #18.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Matthew and Thomas averaged 41.2 places apart, ending at #149 and #26.
- Longest-running competitions
Matthew and Thomas were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 67 years, from 1957 to 2023, ending at #85 and #13.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Matthew #6 in 1996, Thomas #2 in 1998.
List by list
New South Wales, Australia · Boys67 shared years, 1957–2023
Matthew held the stronger position in 38 of those years, Thomas in 29.
Highest recorded here: Matthew #1 in 1982, Thomas #3 in 2000.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Matthew #85, Thomas #13.
New Zealand · Boys65 shared years, 1958–2023
Matthew held the stronger position in 36 of those years, Thomas in 29.
Highest recorded here: Matthew #1 in 1990, Thomas #4 in 2001.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Matthew #99, Thomas #18.
Republic of Ireland · Boys62 shared years, 1964–2025
Matthew held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Thomas in 61.
Highest recorded here: Matthew #15 in 2007, Thomas #5 in 1965.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Matthew #55, Thomas #16.
Norway · Boys47 shared years, 1966–2023
Matthew held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Thomas in 47.
Highest recorded here: Matthew #267 in 1985, Thomas #1 in 1974.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Matthew #421, Thomas #101.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Matthew held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Thomas in 29.
Highest recorded here: Matthew #6 in 1996, Thomas #2 in 1998.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Matthew #149, Thomas #26.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Matthew held the stronger position in 19 of those years, Thomas in 9.
Highest recorded here: Matthew #1 in 1997, Thomas #6 in 2020.
The order changed in 2017: Thomas moved ahead. In 2016 they stood at #9 and #14; by 2017 that had become #11 and #7.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Matthew #42, Thomas #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 | Matthew | Thomas |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Greek form of the Aramaic name meaning 'twin'. |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew | Aramaic, via Greek |
| Pronunciation | /ˈmæθ.juː/ | /ˈtɑməs/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| 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) | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #13 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 88/100 |
| 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 Thomas is recorded with a Aramaic, via Greek origin.
- Matthew and Thomas both have 2 syllables.
- Matthew's recorded meaning differs from Thomas'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
Thomas
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #177 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: #1 among boys in Norway, in 1974 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #13 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys