Matthew

Boy name variations

Family name origins & meanings

• English and Scottish : from the Middle English personal name Ma(t)thew, vernacular form of the Greek New Testament name Matthias, Matthaios, which is ultimately from the Hebrew personal name Matityahu ‘gift of God’. This was taken into Latin as Mat(t)hias and Matthaeus respectively, the former being used for the twelfth apostle (who replaced Judas Iscariot) and the latter for the author of the first Gospel. In many European languages this distinction is reflected in different surname forms. The commonest vernacular forms of the personal name, including English Matthew, Old French Matheu, Spanish Mateo, Italian Matteo, Portuguese Mateus, Catalan and Occitan Mateu are generally derived from the form Matthaeus. The American surname Matthew has also absorbed European cognates from other languages, including Greek Mathias and Mattheos.
• It is found as a personal name among Christians in India, and in the U.S. is used as a family name among families from southern India.

Famous people with this first name

Famous people who gave their babies this name

Popularity

According to Social Security Administration data, Matthew has been one of the most popular boy names of the last century, remaining as the third most popular names for boys throughout the ‘80s, ‘90s, and up until 2002. It has been on a slight decline since then, dropping out of the top 10 in 2009.

However, it is the 47th most popular name on FamilyEducation.com.

According to Google search data analysis, in the last five years Matthew was at its peak popularity in October 2016.

Matthew has been in use since biblical times and first became popular with Matthew the Apostle. It soared in popularity throughout the ‘80s, ‘90s, and early ‘00s. Although it has been declining in popularity over the last decade, it is still one of the most popular names. Its popularity may be due in part to celebs like Matthew Broderick, Matt Damon, Matt Dillon, and Matthew McConaughey.

Where is it Popular?

Matthew was searched for most often in the following states:

Nicknames for Matthew

• Mac
• Mat
• Math
• Mattie

Pairs well with these middle names