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.
Pronunciation: (MATH yoo) Form of:Matthaios Celebrity Names & Famous real-life people:
Matthew Broderick, actor
Matthew Bomer, actor
Matthew McConaughey, actor
Matthew Fox, actor
Matthew "Matt" Damon, actor
Matthew Perry, actor
Matthew Modine, actor
Matthew Lillard, actor
Matthew Macfadyen, actor
Matthew Perry, actor
Matthew Arnold, poet
Matthew Pinsent, English rower, four times Olympic gold medal winner.
Considering Matthew as a Baby Name?
The first thing you should know if you are considering Matthew for your baby's name is that in most countries all over the world the name Matthew is a boy name.
The name Matthew is of Hebrew origin, and is used mostly in English speaking countries but also in a few other countries and languages of the world.
If you consider naming your baby Matthew we recommend you take note of the special meaning and history of the name as your baby’s name will play a big role in its life and your baby will hear it spoken every day. Searching for a name is a very important and fun process as it’s the very first gift you will give to your baby. Many people believe that the name can affect success in life, through their children's working career and other circumstances, so they choose more “respectable” names or name meanings as they believe that the name meaning reflects the personality of the child.
Matthew Name Meaning
The meaning of Matthew is “Gift of God”. Keep in mind that many names may have different meanings in other countries and languages, so be careful that the name that you choose doesn’t mean something bad or unpleasant. Search comprehensively and find the name meaning of Matthew and its name origin or of any other name in our database. Also note the spelling and the pronunciation of the name Matthew and check the initials of the name with your last name to discover how it looks and sounds. The history and meaning of the name Matthew is fascinating, learn more about it. (If you know more meanings of the name and you would like to contribute click here to submit another name meaning).
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Name Matthew Categories
The name Matthew is in the following categories: American Names, Australian Names, Biblical Names, Canadian Names, Celebrity Names, English Names, Popular Names, Saints Names. (If you would like to suggest one or more categories for the name, click here). We have plenty of different baby name categories to search for special meanings plus popular and unique names, search our database before choosing but also note that baby name categories designed to help you and not to be an influential factor when choosing a name. Instead, we recommend that you pay a greater attention to the origin and meaning of the name Matthew. Read our baby name articles for useful tips regarding baby names and naming your baby. If you are thinking of giving your baby the beautiful name Matthew, spread the love and share this with your friends.
Popularity of the Name Matthew
Below you will find the popularity of the baby name Matthew displayed annually, from 1880 to the present day in our name popularity chart. Hover over or click on the dots that represent a year to see how many babies were given the name for that year, for both genders, if available.
Matthew Boy Name Popularity Chart
Matthew Girl Name Popularity Chart
Note:The data above is from the Social Security Administrator of United States, (more info here) from Social Security card applications for births in US for every name, from 1880 up to the present year. The gender associated with the name might be incorrect, as the data presents the record applications without being edited for errors. The name's popularity and ranking is announced annually, so the data for this year will not be available until next year. The more babies that are given a name, the higher popularity ranking the name receives. For names with the same popularity, the tie is solved by assigning popularity rank in alphabetical order. This means that if two or more names have the same popularity their rankings may differ significantly, as they are set in alphabetical order. If a name has less than five occurrences, the SSA excludes it from the provided data to protect privacy.
If you’re not sure yet, see our wide selection of both boy names and girl names all over the world to find the ideal name for your new born baby. We offer a comprehensive and meaningful list of popular names and cool names along with the name's origin, meaning, pronunciation, popularity and additional information.
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Do your research and choose a name wisely, kindly and selflessly.
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