Matthew
Matthew is a boys' name of Hebrew origin meaning “gift of God.” It ranked #15 in the United States in 2025. From Hebrew 'Mattityahu,' meaning 'gift of Yahweh.
how do you pronounce Matthew?
MATH-yoo
Hear it spoken aloud with our AI pronunciation tool.
what does Matthew mean?
The name Matthew means “gift of God.” It comes from the Hebrew language tradition.
From Hebrew 'Mattityahu,' meaning 'gift of Yahweh.' Saint Matthew the Apostle, a former tax collector, is one of the four evangelists and author of the first Gospel, making this name perennially popular in Christian communities.
where does the name Matthew come from?
From the Hebrew מַתִּתְיָהוּ (Mattityahu), combining a word for gift with Yah, the shortened divine name — gift of Yahweh. Greek compressed it to Matthaios and Latin to Matthaeus, and English trimmed it further still.
the history of Matthew
Matthew was a tax collector for Rome, among the most despised occupations in first-century Judea, before being called as an apostle — a detail the gospel attributed to him does not soften. His symbol in Christian art is the winged man, one of the four living creatures. The name was ordinary in medieval England and returned to the top ten across the English-speaking world in the 1970s.
how popular is this name?
| Year | Rank |
|---|---|
| 2024 | #15 |
| 2023 | #14 |
| 2022 | #14 |
| 2021 | #13 |
| 2020 | #12 |
Source: SSA National Baby Names Dataset
what are the nicknames and variants of Matthew?
Nicknames
Variants around the world
who are famous people named Matthew?
- Matthew McConaughey (actor)
- Saint Matthew (Apostle)
- Matthew Perry (actor)
- Matthew Broderick (actor)
what names are similar to Matthew?
what names go well with Matthew?
Sibling names that share Matthew's rhythm and register without echoing it too closely.
Last reviewed April 30, 2026 · Curated by HushName editorial
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