Given name & surname
Matthew
“gift of God”·“a gift from God”
Matthew is used as a given name and a surname. Interpretations include “gift of God” (Hebrew) and “a gift from God” (Hebrew). These may reflect different naming traditions.
Original GreekΜατθαιος
Meaning & origin
What it means
Interpretations include “gift of God” (Hebrew) and “a gift from God” (Hebrew). These may reflect different naming traditions.
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Hebrew.
How it developed
In English usage, Matthew developed from MATTHAEUS. In English usage, Matthew developed from Ματθαῖος.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1880. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
In the Bible
In the Bible, the name Matthew appears in Matthew 9:9, Acts 1:23.
- Matthew 9:9
- Acts 1:23
From biblical name research
Matthew through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 1,659,655
- 1,654,075 boys · 5,580 girls
- Most popular year
- 1983
- 50,526 babies
- 2025
- 7,008
- #32 for boys · #16,434 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −31%
- Easing
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 7,003 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 32 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 30.7% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 50,209 in 1983. It also appeared in 5 birth records for girls in 2025. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (996). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 1,315,151 as a first name in 2020; 6,274 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Matthew’s family of names
In English usage, Matthew has a diminutive in Matt. Matthew shares a linguistic root with Mateo. In English usage, Matthew has a related form in Mathew.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Matthew has relatives in 49 languages. Lines run from its Hebrew roots to each of them.
80 related names in 49 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 53
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Mateovariant · Spanish, English
- Matteovariant · Italian
- Matiasvariant · Finnish
- Mathiasvariant · Norwegian, Danish
- Matthiasvariant · German
- Mattievariant · English
- Mathewvariant · English
- Maypet form · English
Show 45 moreShow fewer
- Mattiasvariant · Swedish, Faroese
- Mateusvariant · Portuguese
- Mattydiminutive · English
- Mattdiminutive · English
- Mathieuvariant · French
- Mattoxvariant
- Mattispet form · English
- Matveyvariant
- Mataivariant
- Mateivariant · Romanian
- Matthieuvariant · French
- Mateuszvariant · Polish
- Mattheusvariant
- Matyasvariant
- Mattthewlikely variant
- Matdiminutive · English
- Machpet form · English
- Matteusvariant · Swedish
- Matevariant
- Matthiewvariant
- Matthausvariant
- Matsvariant · Faroese
- Matheuvariant
- Matavariant · Scottish Gaelic
- Thijsshort form · Dutch
- Le Godnickname
- Matthewwlikely variant
- Mattimorepet form · English
- Matkindiminutive · English
- Mattspet form · English
- Mattithyahuvariant
- Matrovariant
- Matfeivariant
- Matzvariant
- Mattieuvariant
- Mattausvariant
- Mattaeusvariant
- Maticovariant
- Mathianvariant
- Mathévariant
- Madtheosvariant
- Madteosvariant
- Madteovariant
- Motyapet form
- Maciekpet form
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 84
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
- MakaioHawaiian
- Mathisequivalent
- Madscognate · Danish
- Mattiacognate · Italian
- Matviiequivalent
- Mateafeminine form
- Matticognate · Finnish
- Matveicognate
Show 52 moreShow fewer
- MatiEstonian, Greenlandic
- Mattathiasdoublet · English
- MatiusIndonesian
- Mathijsequivalent
- Mathison“son of” surname · English
- Matheson“son of” surname · English
- Masseyderivative · English
- Mayhewrelated form
- MatijaSerbo-Croatian
- Matthaeusroot · Latin
- Mateucognate · Catalan, Galician
- MatasLithuanian
- MianManx
- MatejSlovene, Slovak
- Maciejcognate · Polish
- Matthijscognate · Dutch
- MadisEstonian
- Mathacognate
- Mazhevequivalent
- Matsveiequivalent
- Matiesequivalent
- Maffeoequivalent
- Матъѳѣиequivalent
- Matijusequivalent
- मोतेसequivalent
- Матейequivalent
- Матвійequivalent
- Мацвейequivalent
- מתתיהוequivalent
- Матфейequivalent
- Matîequivalent
- Matìaequivalent
- Matéùszequivalent
- Matuszequivalent
- Matjažequivalent
- Mathewson“son of” surname · English
- Mathieson“son of” surname · English
- МэтьюRussian
- МатвейRussian
- Мэттьюborrowing · Russian
- MatíasSpanish
- Matonderivative · English
- Matiuborrowing · Yoruba, Māori
- MatthäusGerman
- MatoušCzech
- Matityahuequivalent
- Mazzeoequivalent
- Matfijequivalent
- Analequivalent
- MaasiGreenlandic
- MátéHungarian
- MáhtteNorthern Sami
And 24 more.
See also 17
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Matthew
- Matt DamonAmerican actor (born 1970)
- Matthew McConaugheyAmerican actor (born 1969)
- Matthew PerryAmerican-Canadian actor (1969–2023)
- Matt LeBlancAmerican actorborn 1967
- Matthew ArnoldBritish poet and cultural critic (1822–1888)
- Matt GroeningAmerican cartoonist (born 1954)
- Matthew BroderickAmerican actor (born 1962)
- Matt SmithEnglish actor (born 1982)
- Matthew FoxAmerican actor (born 1966)
Characters named Matthew: Matt Murdock (the Marvel Cinematic Universe), Matthew Scott (fictional character), Matthew of Westminster (nonexistent person long regarded as the author of the Flores Historiarum (in fact written by Matthew Paris)).
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Appears in
- Biblical names
- Principal apostolic names enumerated in source
- Four evangelists
- Choose a Theme: names with shared meanings
- Traditional biblical middle names
- Most Popular Names of the 1980s
- Most Popular Names of the 1970s
- Most popular names in 2005
- Most popular names in 2000
- Most popular names in the 1980s
- Top Twins Names of 2006
- Biblical Names: familiar examples
- Most Popular Names of 2006
- Most Popular Names of 2005
- Most Popular Names of 2004
- Most Popular Names of 2003
- Most Popular Names of 2002
- Most Popular Names of 2001
- Most Popular Names of 2000
- Names That Are Candidates for Nicknames
- American Idols
- Popular Names in Alberta
- Popular Names in British Columbia
- Most Popular Names of the 1990s
- Popular Names in Scotland
- Popular Names in Northern Ireland
- Popular Names in New Zealand
Similar names
If you love Matthew, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Michael
“who is like God?”
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“Exalted” · “mountain of strength”
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Jesse
“gift” · “God exists; a gift from God; God sees all”
97% boys · 3% girls
Jason
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>99% boys
Benjamin
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Samuel
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Adam
“man” · “of the earth”
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