◎
Origin & history of Matthew1
Hebrew roots
Matthew derives from the Hebrew Mattityahu meaning gift of God. Saint Matthew was one of the twelve apostles and the author of the first Gospel — a tax collector called by Jesus to follow him, who became one of the foundational figures of Christianity. The name has been used continuously in the English-speaking world since the early medieval period. Matthew held the number one spot in the US in 1995 and 1996, and has remained in the top 20 for decades. Its associations with both biblical seriousness and modern approachability give it rare staying power.
2
Root name
The root form of Matthew is
Mattityahu (מַתִּתְיָהוּ) — meaning Gift of God, gift from Yahweh.
3
Modern usage
Matthew remains a beloved choice. Timeless appeal across cultures and generations.
Google AdSense — 728×90
◆
How popular is Matthew?
1983
peak year
Matthew has been losing ground. Once far more common, it has been declining steadily in recent years. It currently ranks in the top fifty (#26), with about 9,354 babies named Matthew each year. Its all-time peak came in 1983, when it climbed to #3 with 50,208 registrations — the heart of the 1980s. Total registrations across all years since 1880: roughly 1,652,565.
Year-by-year registrations
1880–2024 · U.S. Social Security data
50,208
Babies named in peak year
(ranked #3)
(ranked #3)
9,354
Avg. per year
(last decade)
(last decade)
93,540
Total registrations
last 10 years
last 10 years
1,652,565
All-time total
(since 1880)
(since 1880)
✦
Numerology of Matthew9
Life path number
The Humanitarian
Compassion, wisdom and humanitarianism.
🌍Humanitarian
🎨Creative
🌟Wise
💝Loving
M4
A1
T2
T2
H8
E5
W5
Sum: 27 → Life path 9
Google AdSense — 728×90
♡
Personality of Matthew🌍
Compassionate soul
They carry the weight of the world with grace.
🎨
Richly creative
Deep feeling translates into deep art.
🌟
Old soul wisdom
They've always seemed wiser than their years.
💝
Unconditional love
Their love is vast and forgiving.
Google AdSense — 728×90
◎
Names that sound like MatthewIf you love Matthew, you might love these names with a similar sound, rhythm or feel.
♩
Names that combine with MatthewSibling pairings that share the timeless, classic energy of Matthew.
♡
Middle names for MatthewThe right middle name turns Matthew into a complete story. Explore options for first-and-middle pairings, then last-name flow.
Want a personalised middle name for Matthew? Try our dedicated generator with 1,000+ pairings.
♡ Generate middle name for Matthew →✦
Numerology life path calculatorEnter any full name and date of birth to discover the life path number — a core numerological indicator of personality, purpose and destiny.
First name
Middle name (optional)
Last name
Date of birth
7
Life path number
How we calculated this
Matthew is a beautiful choice.
Save it to your list, share it with your partner, or keep exploring.