Boy name · Hebrew
Matthew
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: gift of GodMatthew is a boy's name that comes from Hebrew and means "gift of God". It is used in English.
- Meaning
- Gift of God
- Origin
- Hebrew
- Gender
- Boy
- US rank
- #32 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Matthew
As a boy's name, Matthew comes from Hebrew and means "gift of God". It is used in English.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
Matthew on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Matthew on 3 lists.
“Gift of God; Hebrew. Tax collector turned apostle, Gospels”
From Biblical names, biblical names for boys
“Gift of God; Hebrew. Gentle two-syllable classic”
From Boy middle names, classic boy middle names
“Gift of God; Hebrew. An apostle and gospel writer”
From Classic boy names, timeless boy names
How popular is Matthew?
- US rank in 2025
- #32
- 7,003 babies, 4,100 per million boys
- Best rank
- #2 in 1995
- Most babies: 50,209 in 1983
- Babies since 1880
- At least 1,654,075
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 975 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 992 per million |
| 1900s | 875 per million |
| 1910s | 933 per million |
| 1920s | 777 per million |
| 1930s | 592 per million |
| 1940s | 588 per million |
| 1950s | 1,771 per million |
| 1960s | 5,500 per million |
| 1970s | 16,815 per million |
| 1980s | 24,863 per million |
| 1990s | 18,054 per million |
| 2000s | 11,104 per million |
| 2010s | 6,653 per million |
| 2020s | 4,251 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #15 | #16 | #20 | #23 | #30 | #36 | #39 | #32 | #33 | #32 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Nicknames for Matthew
Established short forms and pet names, not made-up ones.
- Mattcommon English nickname
- Mattycommon English nickname
Other forms of Matthew
The same name in other languages and spellings, with the same meaning and origin.
- MaciejGift of God (Hebrew, boy)
- MaitiúGift of God (Hebrew, boy)
- MakaioGift of God (Hebrew, boy)
- MateoGift of God (Hebrew, boy)
- MateusGift of God (Hebrew, boy)
- MateuszGift of God (Hebrew, boy)
- MatheusGift of God (Hebrew, boy)
- MathieuGift of God (Hebrew, boy)
- MathisGift of God (Hebrew, boy)
- MatíasGift of God (Hebrew, boy)
- MatsGift of God (Hebrew, boy)
- MatteoGift of God (Hebrew, boy)
Names with a similar meaning
- TheoGift of God (Greek, boy)
- DoraGift (Greek, girl)
- DorotheaGift of God (Greek, girl)
- IsadoraGift of Isis (Greek, girl)
- MatthiasGift of God (Hebrew, boy)
- DoroteaGift of God (Greek, girl)
- EudoraGood gift (Greek, girl)
- FeodoraGift of God (Greek, girl)
- HeliodoraGift of the sun (Greek, girl)
- HeliodoroGift of the sun (Greek, boy)
Middle names for Matthew
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a shorter length, so the full name flows.
More boy names from Hebrew
- AdamMan, humankind (Hebrew, boy)
- DavidBeloved one (Hebrew, boy)
- DanielGod is my judge (Hebrew, boy)
- NoahRest, repose (Hebrew, boy)
- EliasMy God is Yahweh (Hebrew, boy)
- GabrielGod is my strength (Hebrew, boy)
- AxelMy father is peace (Hebrew, boy)
- BenjaminSon of the right hand (Hebrew, boy)
- JanGod is gracious (Hebrew, boy)
- JonathanYahweh has given (Hebrew, boy)
Matthew: common questions
What does the name Matthew mean?
Matthew comes from Hebrew and means "gift of God".
Is Matthew a boy or girl name?
Matthew is mainly a boy's name. In 2025, 5 girls and 7,003 boys in the US were named Matthew, according to Social Security Administration data.
What are nicknames for Matthew?
Common nicknames for Matthew include Matt and Matty.
How popular is the name Matthew?
Matthew ranked #32 in the US in 2025, with 7,003 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What are other forms of Matthew?
Forms of Matthew with the same meaning and origin include Maciej (Polish), Maitiú (Irish), Makaio (Hawaiian), Mateo (English) and Mateus (Portuguese).
What middle names go with Matthew?
Middle names that flow well with Matthew include Chase, Dale, Ethan, Grant and Isaac. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.