matthew

Illustration: MomJunction Design Team

Origin, Meaning, And History Of Matthew

The name Matthew has been the talk of the town for centuries. Originating from the Hebrew word “Mattityahu,” it was converted to Matthaios in Greek and Matthew in English. It comprised two words, “Mattan,” meaning ‘gift,’ and “yah,” meaning ‘God.’ Hence, the name Matthew signifies ‘Gift of God.’

The name has strong Biblical origins, with Matthew being one of Jesus’s apostles and a writer of the Book of Matthew, the first Gospel of the New Testament. According to the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus saw a man named Matthew at a tax collector’s booth. He instructed Matthew to follow him, and he did so. He is better known as St. Matthew, the Evangelist, St. Matthew, the Apostle, or Levi, and is one of the 12 Apostles of Jesus. According to many people, Matthew was the nickname Jesus gave to Levi-Matthew.

Matthew has several spelling variations due to its popularity in different cultures and languages. Some of the common ones include Matevos in Armenian, Matia in Basque, Matthaios and Matthias in Biblical Greek, Mathijs, Matthias, and Thijs in Dutch, Matti, and Matias in Finnish, Matéo, Mathys, Mathieu, and Matis in French, Mate in Georgian, Matthäus, Mattis, and Matthias in German, Maitiú in Irish, and Matteo and Mattia in Italian. In addition, you may explore the shorter versions of this name for nicknames such as Mat, Matty, Matt, and Mattie.

Matthew became popular during the Medieval Ages in Northwestern Europe and the USA in the 1960s. The name’s influence can be seen in many movies. Matthew “Matt” Freeman is the protagonist of Anthony Horowitz’s The Power of Five series. Matt Jensen is a recurring fictional character appearing in the American teen drama series 13 Reasons Why. Matthew “Matt” Robinson is a fictional character in the Australian soap opera Neighbors, played by Ashley Paske.

Matthew

Meaning A gift of God

Gender Boy

Religion Judaism

Origin Hebrew, Medieval English

Names starting with  M..  Ma..  Maa..  Mad..  Mae..  Mah.. 

How To Pronounce Matthew?

Matthew On The Popularity Chart

Matthew is one such name that may remain well-loved among parents for years. It was the third most popular name in America during the 1980s. The graphs below show how the name has fared over the years.

Popularity Over Time

Matthew has been famous over the years since the 1980s. It reached its peak popularity in the 1990s but saw a mild decline in the 2000s, as the graph shows.

Rank Over Time

Matthew is a classic name prevalent in the USA and the UK. However, its rank has declined since the 1990s, with a lowest of 20581 in 2007. See the graph for a better understanding.

Names With Similar Sound As Matthew

Do you like the resonance of the Biblical name Matthew? Here are some names with a ring similar to Matthew for your baby.

Mathe Matheus Mathias Mathieu Mathis Matthan Matthaus Mattheus Meth Methew

Names With Similar Meaning As Matthew

Maandhata Mada Madhi Mahadeo Mahamati Mahanand Mahananda Mahanidhi Mahant Mahanth

Name Numerology For Matthew

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• Author

Trisha ChakrabortyMA, BEd

Trisha worked as a schoolteacher for three years before taking up professional writing in 2021. She completed her masters in English from the University of Calcutta and bachelors in Education from the University of Burdwan. Trisha believes that being a teacher enabled her to have a closer look at children’s developmental needs and capabilities. Her experience reflects in the articles...more