Given name & surname · also Hebrew
Matthias
“gift of God”·“a gift from God”
Matthias is a variant of Matthew. Interpretations include “gift of God” (Hebrew) and “a gift from God” (Hebrew). These may reflect different naming traditions.
Original GreekΜατθιας
Meaning & origin
What it means
Matthias is a variant of Matthew. Interpretations include “gift of God” (Hebrew) and “a gift from God” (Hebrew). These may reflect different naming traditions.
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
This spelling has been associated with Hebrew and Aramaic naming traditions.
How it developed
In Norwegian Bokmål usage, Matthias developed from Ματθίας. In German usage, Matthias is a short form of Ματταθίας.
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 Matthias appears in Acts 1:23, Acts 1:26.
- Acts 1:23
- Acts 1:26
From biblical name research
Matthias through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 13,676
- 13,676 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 2025
- 854 babies
- 2025
- 854
- #372 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −1%
- Steady
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 854 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 372 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 1.0% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (139). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 9,103 as a first name in 2020; 2,487 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.
Matthias’s family of names
In English usage, Matthias has a diminutive in Matt. In Norwegian Bokmål usage, Matthias developed from the Ancient Greek form Ματθίας. Matthias has a related form in Matthew.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Matthias has relatives in 26 languages. Lines run from its Aramaic roots to each of them.
48 related names in 26 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 16
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 2
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 59
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
- MateoSpanish
- MatteoItalian
- Mathewequivalent
- MazeBreton
- MateusPortuguese
- Madsderivative · Norwegian Bokmål
- MattiaItalian
- MathieuFrench
Show 51 moreShow fewer
- Matveyequivalent
- Matthieuequivalent
- Mateuszequivalent
- MattiFinnish
- MakiaHawaiian
- Matiborrowing · Greenlandic
- Matiaborrowing · Romanian
- Matthijsequivalent
- MaciejPolish
- Matijaderivative · Serbo-Croatian
- Matsderivative · Norwegian Bokmål, Swedish
- MatejUpper Sorbian, Czech
- Matejaequivalent
- Matasequivalent
- Mateuequivalent
- Mateequivalent
- Mathijsequivalent
- MadisEstonian
- MaheBreton
- Мацвейequivalent
- Matsveiequivalent
- Matijusequivalent
- Motiejusequivalent
- Mōcequivalent
- МатвейRussian
- Матијаderivative · Serbo-Croatian
- MatíasSpanish
- MatyášCzech
- Matityahuequivalent
- Mazzeoequivalent
- Matjažequivalent
- Maćijequivalent
- מתתיהוequivalent
- Matfijequivalent
- Matfeiequivalent
- Analequivalent
- Matthäusequivalent
- Matúšequivalent
- Matiesequivalent
- Maffeoequivalent
- MátyásHungarian
- ThayWest Frisian
- ThiesLow German
- MathiggesLow German
- MathigesLow German
- MattiggesLow German
- MaheoBreton
- MazeoBreton
- MazhevBreton
- ΜαθθίαςAncient Greek
- Mattathiabase name
See also 17
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Matthias
- Matthias, Holy Roman EmperorHoly Roman Emperor (1557-1619)
- Matthias Jakob SchleidenGerman botanist and philosopher (1804-1881)
- Matthias GinterGerman association football player (born 1994)
- Matthias SammerGerman association football player, coach and executive (born 1967)
- Matthias GrünewaldGerman Renaissance painter (c.1480–1528)
- Matthias ClaudiusGerman poet (1740-1815)
- Matthias SindelarAustrian association football player (1903-1939)
- Matthias MayerAustrian alpine skierborn 1990
- Matthias ErzbergerGerman politician (1875–1921)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Appears in
Similar names
If you love Matthias, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Magnus
“great” · “a great man; one who is large”
>99% boys
Lucius
“surrounded by light”
>99% boys
Andreas
“manly; a warrior”
>99% boys
Koren
“one who is gleaming”
>99% boys
Constantine
“one who is steadfast; firm”
99% boys · 1% girls
Claudios
“one who is lame”
80% boys · 20% girls
Thucydides
>99% boys
Constantius
“one who is steadfast; firm”
>99% boys