Matthew Name Meaning, Origin, Popularity, Boy Names Like Matthew

Matthew Name Origin: Hebrew
Pronunciation: m(ath)-yoo
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Matthew Name Meaning

The quintessential boy next door name of the United States, Matthew is a friendly moniker with endless potential. The name has been a chart darling since the 1960s, a heaven-sent gift of a name for parents, rightfully so, given his meaning. From the ancient Hebrew Mattityahu, Matthew means “gift of God.” Any parent regardless of faith can agree that a little one is certainly a gift.

Like David and Michael, Matthew has strong biblical ties, appearing as one of the twelve apostles and penning the first gospel of the New Testament. Despite this appearance in ancient texts he remains much more wearable in the modern world than names like Ezekiel and Hezekiah. He also remains a fresh choice for parents, not dated at all despite his years of heavy usage. Like a stylish suit, Matthew is never out of style.

Matthew has the beloved nickname of Matt, just as classic as the short and sweet Jake and Mike. He’s strong and versatile yet soft and sweet, managing to bend and flex wherever life may take him. He’s truly a one-size-fits-all name, wearing well throughout the ages.

The name can also be spelled as Mathew and spunky variants include Matthias, Matteo, and Mathis.

Matthew Name Popularity

How popular is the name Matthew? Here’s everything we know.

Year	Rank	# Births	% Births
1910	152	168	0.0477%
1911	154	176	0.0473%
1912	154	357	0.0708%
1913	149	457	0.0806%
1914	152	576	0.0827%
1915	151	757	0.0833%
1916	150	792	0.082%
1917	150	827	0.0827%
1918	148	931	0.0867%
1919	152	848	0.081%
1920	154	940	0.0845%
1921	162	881	0.0769%
1922	156	967	0.0868%
1923	161	915	0.0817%
1924	173	805	0.0693%
1925	174	822	0.0727%
1926	188	741	0.0674%
1927	181	768	0.0694%
1928	184	742	0.0693%
1929	187	701	0.0677%
1930	204	626	0.0599%
1931	209	568	0.0575%
1932	186	678	0.0686%
1933	203	538	0.0577%
1934	202	575	0.0595%
1935	197	616	0.0634%
1936	205	558	0.0579%
1937	199	575	0.0584%
1938	204	572	0.0559%
1939	201	579	0.0569%
1940	198	642	0.0604%
1941	196	696	0.0618%
1942	192	801	0.0634%
1943	197	797	0.0611%
1944	196	731	0.059%
1945	199	690	0.0566%
1946	195	866	0.0587%
1947	196	1,016	0.0609%
1948	190	1,016	0.0636%
1949	175	1,201	0.0747%
1950	174	1,279	0.0794%
1951	164	1,574	0.0928%
1952	142	2,021	0.1158%
1953	130	2,370	0.1339%
1954	124	2,678	0.1465%
1955	104	3,278	0.1782%
1956	90	4,354	0.2305%
1957	83	5,223	0.2714%
1958	60	6,373	0.3372%
1959	63	6,558	0.3452%
1960	60	6,930	0.3658%
1961	59	7,075	0.3747%
1962	56	7,289	0.397%
1963	50	8,034	0.4476%
1964	43	8,983	0.5103%
1965	36	9,991	0.611%
1966	34	10,807	0.6922%
1967	28	13,580	0.8949%
1968	24	15,839	1.0548%
1969	24	17,472	1.1341%
1970	24	20,201	1.2694%
1971	19	22,560	1.5013%
1972	10	22,947	1.6848%
1973	10	24,548	1.8935%
1974	9	27,224	2.0946%
1975	9	28,552	2.2219%
1976	9	29,982	2.3263%
1977	9	31,974	2.3721%
1978	6	34,312	2.5521%
1979	6	35,659	2.529%
1980	6	37,860	2.5894%
1981	3	43,330	2.9477%
1982	3	46,060	3.0823%
1983	3	50,214	3.4028%
1984	3	49,775	3.346%
1985	3	47,073	3.1013%
1986	3	46,923	3.1086%
1987	3	46,481	3.0459%
1988	3	45,868	2.9434%
1989	3	45,371	2.8116%
1990	3	44,800	2.7029%
1991	3	41,636	2.5544%
1992	3	37,736	2.3642%
1993	3	35,769	2.2943%
1994	3	33,646	2.1924%
1995	2	32,876	2.1814%
1996	2	32,073	2.1421%
1997	3	31,513	2.1307%
1998	3	31,142	2.0807%
1999	3	30,415	2.031%
2000	3	28,572	1.8704%
2001	3	26,806	1.7791%
2002	4	25,151	1.6783%
2003	4	23,996	1.5773%
2004	4	22,873	1.5007%
2005	4	21,467	1.404%
2006	5	20,331	1.2984%
2007	9	18,734	1.1874%
2008	10	17,579	1.1374%
2009	13	15,984	1.0694%
2010	16	14,126	0.9802%
2011	12	14,159	0.9938%
2012	12	13,964	0.9799%
2013	15	13,329	0.9362%
2014	16	12,898	0.8853%
2015	15	12,737	0.8754%
2016	15	12,605	0.8742%
2017	16	11,611	0.8319%
2018	20	9,924	0.7223%
2019	23	9,199	0.6795%
2020	29	7,965	0.6258%
2021	36	7,420	0.607%
2022	39	6,943	0.5263%

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Maine (ME)

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Data via SSA.gov.

Names Like Matthew

If you like Matthew, you’ll love these other names like Matthew.

What names are diminutives of Matthew?

A diminutive is a name that’s like Matthew sounds, you might also like these names that sound like Matthew, but shorter.

Name	Meaning	Origin
Mat	Gift of God	Hebrew
Mata	Gift of God	Hebrew
Mathe	Gift of God	Hebrew
Mats	Gift of God	Hebrew
Matt	Gift of God	Hebrew
Mattie	Gift of God	Hebrew
Matty	Gift of God	Hebrew
Matz	Gift of God	Hebrew

What names are variants of Matthew?

Mix it up with these names that are a variation of the name Matthew.

Name	Meaning	Origin
Madteo	Gift of God	Hebrew
Madteos	Gift of God	Hebrew
Madtheos	Gift of God	Hebrew
Mateo	Gift of God	Spanish
Mateus	Gift of God	Hebrew
Mateusz	Gift of God	Hebrew

Matheu	Gift of God	Hebrew
Mathew	Gift of God	Hebrew
Mathian	Gift of God	Hebrew
Mathias	Gift of God	Hebrew
Mathieu	Gift of God	Hebrew
Matias	Gift of God	Portuguese
Matico	Gift of God	Hebrew
Mattaeus	Gift of God	Hebrew
Mattaus	Gift of God	Hebrew
Matteo	Gift of God	Italian
Matthaus	Gift of God	Hebrew
Mattheus	Gift of God	Hebrew
Matthias	Gift of God	Welsh
Matthieu	Gift of God	Hebrew
Matthiew	Gift of God	Hebrew

Mattias	Gift of God	Hebrew
Mattieu	Gift of God	Hebrew
Matvey	Gift of God	Hebrew
Matyas	Gift of God	Hebrew

What names sound like Matthew?

If you like how Matthew sounds, you might also like these names that sound like Matthew.

Name	Meaning	Origin
Mather	Powerful army	English
Mathers	Son of Mather	English
Matherson	Son of Mather	English
Matheson	Bear's son	Scottish

What names are similar to Matthew?

Find a name that’s like Matthew, but just a little bit different.

Name	Meaning	Origin
Daniel	God is My Judge	Hebrew
David	Beloved	Hebrew
Isaiah	God is salvation	Hebrew
Joseph	Jehovah will increase	Hebrew
Lucas	From Lucania	Latin
Michael	Who is Like God?	Hebrew
Nathan	He gave	Hebrew

Noah	To rest	Hebrew
Samuel	Name of God	Hebrew
William	A willing protector	German

Lists With Matthew

Find inspiration in these baby boy name lists featuring the name Matthew.

Siblings of Matthew

Mamas with kids named Matthew also have kids with these names.

Name	Meaning	Origin
Robert	Bright fame	German
Philip	Horse lover	Greek
Stephen	Crown	English
Maria	Of the sea	Latin
Martin	Of Mars	Latin
Luke	From Lucania	Greek
Destiny	Determined fate	English
Liam	Helmet of will	Irish
Ryan	Little king	Irish
John	God is gracious	Hebrew
Bethany	House of figs	Hebrew
Melanie	Black	Greek

Leonardo	Brave lion	Italian
Christopher	Bearing Christ	English

Share Your Thoughts

34 Comments

Clarence P. Hunt May 2 at 11:49 pm

I was never allowed to pick his name. Because the name is biblical, his father picked it https://candyclicker.io

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Kristin Apr 10 at 1:45 pm

We like that Matthew means gift from God.

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Renee Apr 7 at 12:00 am

My son chose his name after he was born. We had a list of names that we came together on but my husband did not want a Junior.
I love my “Matt’s”! I call Daddy Matt and my son is Matthew to differentiate the 2.
I love that it means gift from God! I had to go through IVF to conceive my children because I lost the ability to have children on my own. When I got pregnant on the 1st round with the 1st egg it was amazing!

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Wendy Feb 3 at 9:27 am

I chose the name because it means “gift from God.” I have had 9 miscarriages. So my baby really is a gift from God.

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Viktoriya Dec 6 at 12:13 pm

I love all the variations of the name Matthew.
#Matteo #Matthias #Matty #Matt #Mac #Hugh #Theo
I’m bilingual and so it translates well and that is a bonus for my family.

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hannah Nov 30 at 8:53 am

it’s my dads name but I like it

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Ruby Nov 29 at 2:54 am

Matthew means gift from God. When I was expecting Matthew I was going thru a rough time. When I came across the name and found the meaning to it that name felt perfect.

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Mary+Ellen Nov 13 at 6:40 pm

It’s my husband name! We picked Matthew Jr after his daddy

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Michelle Mar 17 at 6:39 am

Matthew means gift from God. We were surprised but blessed to find out I was pregnant with him the day after a dear friend went to be with the Lord. He also was born at home normally, my 2VBAC baby at 10 pounds 14 ounces! So his birth experience was a gift from God too!

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Tristin Jan 25 at 9:15 am

I would have never really imagined naming my child Matthew. My husbands name is Matthew Alan Town, and he felt strongly about having a Junior. I wanted to honor that, (but not going to lie…) I was a little bummed he wouldn’t have his own name. We were also getting a lot of negative feedback for wanting to name him after his dad, which by the way no one should ever do, because it’s not kind.

But when our little one arrived, I realized how powerful and honorary this name was and felt so emotional about naming him after his dad. So now I have my main man Matthew and my little Jr. and it couldn’t be more beautiful and perfect.

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Bryanna Dec 6 at 7:12 am

Me and his picked it
I love his name I just don’t like it’s his dads best friends middle name which I didn’t know until he was born
Matthew is 11 months old and he is my best friend he has been crawling and now he’s trying to walk Matthew is a twin but his twin is in heaven

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- maribella Dec 10 at 7:57 am
  
  i am so sorry for your loss
  
  Reply
Lana May 21 at 9:46 am

I chose this name due to the biblical meaning & also to honor his father by naming him after him. I’ve always loved the name Matthew.

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Nadine Apr 28 at 1:02 pm

I chose the name Matthew, because it means “gift from God”. I love the fact that it has a biblical meaning and besides, my son is a gift from God???

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Nadine Apr 19 at 1:16 am

I never got to choose his name. His dad chose the name as it’s a biblical name.

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Kira Mar 18 at 7:11 am

Matthew is a family name of my fianc?. It’s a strong name

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Yohanna Jan 14 at 9:27 am

Because it is a name from the bible and I love its meaning “Gift Of God”

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Amanda Jun 29 at 10:35 am

I prayed if I was supposed to have another baby and all i heard that night was Matthew Ofer and over again

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Felicia Apr 22 at 11:43 am

Love him so much

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Sarah Mar 19 at 1:54 pm

I chose the Matthew because it’s a biblical name. Also because it means Gift of God. My husband and I tried for 8 yrs to get pregnant. Then I went to a Fertility doctor when I was 35. So considering I wasn’t supposed to have any children, I think the name is fitting. I like the fact that it’s an old , more ordinary name. Not like most name now days.

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Christina Nov 11 at 4:00 pm

Meaning is God’s gift and he truly is

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Brittany Nov 7 at 8:27 am

I chose the name Matthew bc my daugther picked his name and his middle name wayne is named after his great grandpa afled my step moms dad and his last name is were I got married to his dad Shane artley there is my baby story

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Desiree Oct 30 at 10:49 am

We tried several names out loud and looked up the meanings when I said Matthew out loud he did a kick dance inside my belly and it was meant to be. His name is biblical also

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Shayla Sep 4 at 10:02 am

I chose the name Matthew James because it is his fathers name.i think having a Jr is very honorable. His nickname is MJ so we can tell them apart.

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Rebecca Aug 31 at 1:41 pm

Daddy chose the name from the Bible

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Sarah Jul 28 at 8:18 pm

My husband picked it out after Matthew in the bible

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Kayla Jul 1 at 10:19 am

My husband and I couldn’t agree on a baby boy name. Throughout my pregnancy my grandma would always
say name him “Matthew Lucas“. I would always tell her “No”. My grandma passed 15 days before I had my baby. I went to the hospital still without a name and undecided. 2 hours before leaving the hospital we finally agreed on “Matthew”.

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Leree Jun 27 at 4:45 pm

He is a precious gift from God

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Lori Jun 13 at 9:55 pm

In Hebrew, Matthew means Gift from Yahweh. At 45 years old, Matthew was definitely our gift from Yahweh. After miscarriages and illness over the years, we were thankful for our two sons (now ages 22 and 15) and were not expecting this very sweet surprise. Not only has my health been restored, so has our youth, for Matthew keeps us young.

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Melissa Jun 13 at 2:27 pm

Me and hubby both liked the name Matthew. We liked that we can call the baby Matt or Mattie for short. We couldn’t agree on baby names but there was 2 names we both liked- Kevin and a Matthew. We chose Matthew bc my brother’s name is Kevin and we wanted baby to have own name and not someone else in family.

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Kiarra Boyce Jun 13 at 12:08 pm

Me and my boyfriend have been together for 8 years. We’ve both experienced lost and gains in our relationship. My boyfriends name is Matthew, Jr. We decided to name our baby after to him. Originally we wanted to name him Milan, but we decided to pass down the legacy but let him make his own name. It will be his decision to continue to build on that name and pass it on to his son. No one will be made. However right now Matthew, III is a very active and healthy little boy who just wants to be loved by mommy and daddy and we don’t hesitate or think twice about showing it.

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Sarah Jun 7 at 11:38 pm

Matthew is a biblical name and means mighty. feel in love it right away

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Priscilla Apr 11 at 12:59 pm

I chose this name for my son because it was his late Uncle’s name. Matthew (my brother) saved lives on the campus of Virginia Tech when a gunman opened fire, killing 32 people in April of 2007. Eyewitness accounts confirmed that he used his body to tackle the shooter in an attempt to stop him. Although Matthew ultimately lost his life that day, he saved others by giving them time to escape and take cover. My son was named after a hero, and every time I say his name, my brother’s memory is honored. There was no better name to give him than the name of someone whom I love, who inspires me, and who is remembered and carried in my heart each day.

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Julia Apr 11 at 12:48 pm

Matthew is a wonderful name of an Apostle. Because it is so popular, I suggest having a short and/or unique middle name to distinguish your son from others. For example, Matthew John.

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Matthew