Matthew vs Walter
Matthew and Waltercompared 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.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Matthew was ranked #55 and Walter #829 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Matthew was ranked #73 and Walter #478 among boys in Scotland.
New Zealand · Boys
In 1958, Matthew was ranked #98 and Walter #97 among boys in New Zealand.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Matthew was ranked #149 and Walter #344 among boys in England and Wales.
Norway · Boys
In 2023, Matthew was ranked #421 and Walter #209 among boys in Norway.
Matthew and Walter over time
Matthew and Walter appear together in 3 published lists, across 103 years of shared records. Matthew held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Walter 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.
Matthew reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Walter in 1. 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 Walter changed places 5 times in Norway · Boys between 1966 and 2023, ending at #421 and #209.
- Longest-running competitions
Matthew and Walter were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 51 years, from 1964 to 2025, ending at #55 and #829.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys51 shared years, 1964–2025
Matthew held the stronger position in 51 of those years, Walter in 0.
Highest recorded here: Matthew #15 in 2007, Walter #105 in 1968.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Matthew #55, Walter #829.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Matthew held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Walter in 0.
Highest recorded here: Matthew #6 in 1996, Walter #271 in 2019.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Matthew #149, Walter #344.
Norway · Boys23 shared years, 1966–2023
Matthew held the stronger position in 15 of those years, Walter in 8.
Highest recorded here: Matthew #267 in 1985, Walter #209 in 2023.
The order changed in 2013: Walter moved ahead. In 2012 they stood at #554 and #568; by 2013 that had become #506 and #446.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Matthew #421, Walter #209.
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 | Walter |
|---|---|---|
| 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/ | |
| 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 | GB-ENW, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #55 (2025) | Norway · Boys #108 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| 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 has a recorded origin (Biblical Hebrew); Walter does not have one recorded yet.
- Matthew and Walter both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Matthew; Walter doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, 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
Walter
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #178 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #108 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys