Matthew vs Thorleif
Matthew and Thorleifcompared 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 1990, Matthew was ranked #276 and Thorleif #595 among boys in Norway.
Matthew and Thorleif over time
Matthew and Thorleif appear together in 1 published list, across 16 years of shared records. Matthew held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Thorleif 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.
Thorleif 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 Thorleif changed places 7 times in Norway · Boys between 1966 and 1990, ending at #276 and #595.
List by list
Norway · Boys16 shared years, 1966–1990
Matthew held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Thorleif in 5.
Highest recorded here: Matthew #276 in 1990, Thorleif #265 in 1969.
The order changed in 1980: Matthew moved ahead. In 1979 they stood at #505 and #420; by 1980 that had become #281 and #661.
Most recent shared year, 1990: Matthew #276, Thorleif #595.
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 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
- 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
- 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
- Matthew vs Bradley
Both reached their highest recorded position in Northern Ireland · Boys within 2 years — Matthew #1 in 1997, Bradley #68 in 1998.
Matthew · Bradley · 27 shared years, 1997–2024 · Peaked in the same years
Side by side
| Field | Matthew | Thorleif |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #55 (2025) | Norway · Boys #595 (1990) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 76/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 40/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Matthew has a recorded origin (Biblical Hebrew); Thorleif does not have one recorded yet.
- Matthew and Thorleif both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Matthew; Thorleif doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in 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 #153 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Boys
Thorleif
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #173 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1945–1990
Highest recorded position: #152 among boys in Norway, in 1946 (recorded 1945–1990).
Norway · Boys
Most recent1990
Most recently recorded at #595 among boys in Norway, in 1990.
Norway · Boys