Matthew
What does the name Matthew mean?
The meaning of the name “Matthew” is: “Gift of God”.
Additional information: Matthew was originally a Hebrew masculine name, Matityahu (from which Matthew and many of its variants derive from), and it means ‘Gift of God’. Matityahu was transliterated as Mattathias in Greek, shortened to Matthaios and Matthias, from the Hebrew name 'Mattathia', Latinised as Matthaeus, and finally becoming the English name Matthew.
In the Bible, Matthew was an Evangelist, the author of the Gospel of Matthew, a very important figure of Christianity, as one of Jesus' Twelve Apostles. Saint Matthew is a patron Saint for customs officers and tax collectors. In England the name was introduced during the Middle Ages by the Normans.
The name Matthias, similar in look and sound to Matthew, actually derived from the alternative Greek transliteration Matthias. Matthew can also be used as an English name for the Irish Mathúin, meaning ‘bear’. Because of its frequent use as a name in the Bible, Matthew has been popular since the Middle Ages and appears in many languages, such as the French Matthieu, the Dutch Matthijs, and the Spanish Mateo. Diminutives of the name Matthew usually involve shortening it to its first syllable – Matt and Matty are especially common. Although there are no feminine variants, the name Matilda looks similar, and the name Dorothy also means ‘Gift of God’. Common misspellings of Matthew are ‘Mattew’, ‘Matther’, and ‘Mathhew’.
Matthew was in the top five most popular names for boys in the USA for 26 consecutive years from 1981 to 2006. Since then it has slightly decreased in popularity, but not by a drastic amount – it was the sixteenth most popular name for boys in the USA in 2014. During its most popular stages during 1981 to 2006, Matthew also saw some popularity as a feminine name in the USA. In 2006 it ranked as the eighteenth most popular boy name in UK. The name has seen a more noticeable decline in popularity in England and Wales, falling from a fourth consecutive year as the sixth most popular name in 1999 to 47th in 2013. It is still a very popular name in Canada, Scotland, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, England and the United States.
Famous people with the name Matthew are Matthew McConaughey (actor), Matthew Perry (actor), and Matt LeBlanc (actor). Fictional characters named Matthew are Matthew ‘Matt’ Murdock from Marvel comic Daredevil, Matthew Crawley from Downton Abbey, and Matthew Cuthbert from the Anne of Green Gables series.
In the Bible, Matthew was an Evangelist, the author of the Gospel of Matthew, a very important figure of Christianity, as one of Jesus' Twelve Apostles. Saint Matthew is a patron Saint for customs officers and tax collectors. In England the name was introduced during the Middle Ages by the Normans.
The name Matthias, similar in look and sound to Matthew, actually derived from the alternative Greek transliteration Matthias. Matthew can also be used as an English name for the Irish Mathúin, meaning ‘bear’. Because of its frequent use as a name in the Bible, Matthew has been popular since the Middle Ages and appears in many languages, such as the French Matthieu, the Dutch Matthijs, and the Spanish Mateo. Diminutives of the name Matthew usually involve shortening it to its first syllable – Matt and Matty are especially common. Although there are no feminine variants, the name Matilda looks similar, and the name Dorothy also means ‘Gift of God’. Common misspellings of Matthew are ‘Mattew’, ‘Matther’, and ‘Mathhew’.
Matthew was in the top five most popular names for boys in the USA for 26 consecutive years from 1981 to 2006. Since then it has slightly decreased in popularity, but not by a drastic amount – it was the sixteenth most popular name for boys in the USA in 2014. During its most popular stages during 1981 to 2006, Matthew also saw some popularity as a feminine name in the USA. In 2006 it ranked as the eighteenth most popular boy name in UK. The name has seen a more noticeable decline in popularity in England and Wales, falling from a fourth consecutive year as the sixth most popular name in 1999 to 47th in 2013. It is still a very popular name in Canada, Scotland, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, England and the United States.
Famous people with the name Matthew are Matthew McConaughey (actor), Matthew Perry (actor), and Matt LeBlanc (actor). Fictional characters named Matthew are Matthew ‘Matt’ Murdock from Marvel comic Daredevil, Matthew Crawley from Downton Abbey, and Matthew Cuthbert from the Anne of Green Gables series.
Categories: American Names, Australian Names, Biblical Names, Canadian Names, Celebrity Names, English Names, Popular Names, Saints Names
Used in: English speaking countries
Gender: Boy Names
Origins: Hebrew
Starts with: M
