Mathijs is the distinctly Dutch form of Matthias (Matthew), ultimately from the Hebrew Mattityahu meaning gift of God (a compound of mattan meaning gift and Yahweh, the divine name). Matthew was one of the twelve apostles and traditionally the author of the first Gospel, while Matthias was the apostle chosen to replace Judas Iscariot. The Mathijs spelling, with the characteristic Dutch ij digraph, is uniquely Dutch and represents one of the most authentically local Dutch variants of this ancient apostolic name. The Dutch ij digraph is one of the most distinctive features of Dutch orthography, pronounced like the English ay. The longer Mathijs form pairs alongside the shorter Dutch variants Thijs, Ties, and Tijs. In modern Dutch naming, Mathijs has been a consistently popular Dutch boys name for decades, fitting alongside other distinctively Dutch boys names. Dutch parents are drawn to Mathijs for its strong Dutch local identity, biblical apostolic heritage, warm two-syllable Dutch sound, and uniquely Dutch spelling that immediately reads as authentically Dutch.

The root form of Mathijs is Matthias / Matthew — meaning Gift of God.

Mathijs remains a beloved choice. Timeless appeal across cultures and generations.