English language
English is a West Germanic language that developed in early medieval England and has since become a English as a lingua franca, global lingua franca. The namesake of the language is the Angles (tribe), Angles, one of the Germanic peoples th ...
masculine
given name
A given name (also known as a forename or first name) is the part of a personal name quoted in that identifies a person, potentially with a middle name as well, and differentiates that person from the other members of a group (typically a f ...
. It ultimately derives from the
Hebrew
Hebrew (; ''ʿÎbrit'') is a Northwest Semitic languages, Northwest Semitic language within the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family. A regional dialect of the Canaanite languages, it was natively spoken by the Israelites and ...
name "" (''Matityahu'') which means "Gift of
Yahweh
Yahweh was an Ancient Semitic religion, ancient Semitic deity of Weather god, weather and List of war deities, war in the History of the ancient Levant, ancient Levant, the national god of the kingdoms of Kingdom of Judah, Judah and Kingdom ...
".
Etymology
The
Hebrew
Hebrew (; ''ʿÎbrit'') is a Northwest Semitic languages, Northwest Semitic language within the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family. A regional dialect of the Canaanite languages, it was natively spoken by the Israelites and ...
name () was transliterated into
Greek
Greek may refer to:
Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe:
*Greeks, an ethnic group
*Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family
**Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor of all kno ...
as (). It was subsequently shortened to (); this was Latinised as , which became ''Matthew'' in English. The popularity of the name is due to
Matthew the Apostle
Matthew the Apostle was one of the Twelve Apostles, twelve apostles of Jesus. According to Christian traditions, he was also one of the four Evangelists as author of the Gospel of Matthew, and thus is also known as Matthew the Evangelist.
Th ...
, one of the
twelve apostles
In Christian theology and ecclesiology, the apostles, particularly the Twelve Apostles (also known as the Twelve Disciples or simply the Twelve), were the primary disciples of Jesus according to the New Testament. During the life and minist ...
of
Jesus
Jesus (AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, and many Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, other names and titles, was a 1st-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the Jesus in Chris ...
and the traditional author of the
Gospel of Matthew
The Gospel of Matthew is the first book of the New Testament of the Bible and one of the three synoptic Gospels. It tells the story of who the author believes is Israel's messiah (Christ (title), Christ), Jesus, resurrection of Jesus, his res ...
.
and were both a borrowing of the name Matthew among the
Anglo-Normans
The Anglo-Normans (, ) were the medieval ruling class in the Kingdom of England following the Norman Conquest. They were primarily a combination of Normans, Bretons, Flemings, French people, Frenchmen, Anglo-Saxons and Celtic Britons.
Afte ...
settlers in
Ireland
Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...
. is the most common Irish form of the name. Matthew is also used as an
anglicisation
Anglicisation or anglicization is a form of cultural assimilation whereby something non-English becomes assimilated into or influenced by the culture of England. It can be sociocultural, in which a non-English place adopts the English language ...
of the Irish name (meaning 'bear').
Popularity
The name Matthew became popular during the
Middle Ages
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...
in
Northwest Europe
Northwestern Europe, or Northwest Europe, is a loosely defined subregion of Europe, overlapping Northern Europe, Northern and Western Europe. The term is used in geographic, history, and military contexts.
Geographic definitions
Geography, Geo ...
, and has been very common throughout the
English-speaking world
The English-speaking world comprises the 88 countries and territories in which English language, English is an official, administrative, or cultural language. In the early 2000s, between one and two billion people spoke English, making it the ...
.
In
Ireland
Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...
, Matthew was ranked the 10th most popular male name in 2007. In 2008, it was ranked 15th, falling to 20th between 2009-2010, and then 24th between 2011-2012. In 2016, it was the 30th most popular male name in Ireland, rising to 26th in 2017.
In the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
, Matthew has been among the 10 most popular male names. Matthew has been in the top 2,000 most popular male names in
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
,
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...
and the
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
.
Variations
*
Maciej Maciej (Polish pronunciation: ) is a Polish given name, the etymological equivalent of Matthias. Its diminutive forms are Maciek, Maciuś.
Namedays according to Polish calendar: 30 January, 24 February, 14 May
Maciej may refer to:
Arts and ent ...
*
Madis
Madis is an Estonian masculine given name. As of 1 January 2020, 2,635 men in Estonia bear the name Madis. It is the 53rd most popular male name in Estonia.Mads
* Maitiú
* Máté
* Matei
*
Matej Matej is a given name that originates from the Slavic nations of Central and Eastern Europe. It is one of the most common male names in Slovakia and Slovenia, and is also common in Croatia. The name is originally derived from Matthias the Apostle.
...
Matha
A ''matha'' (; , ), also written as ''math'', ''muth'', ''mutth'', ''mutt'', or ''mut'', is a Sanskrit word that means 'institute or college', and it also refers to a monastery in Hinduism.
Matías Matías is the Spanish version of Matthias (given name), Matthias. In Scandinavian languages (Norwegian, Swedish, Danish and Finnish) and in Portuguese it is unaccented as Matias.
Notable people with the name include:
Given name
*Matías Alemann ...
*
Matija Matija is a South Slavic masculine given name, cognate to Matthew. Notable people with the name include:
* Matija Ahacel (1779–1845), Carinthian Slovene philologist, publicist, and collector of folk songs
* Matija Antun Relković (1732–1798) ...
Matt
Matt may refer to:
*Matt (name), people with the given name ''Matt'' or Matthew, meaning "gift from God", or the surname Matt
*In British English, of a surface: having a non-glossy finish, see gloss (material appearance)
*Matt, Switzerland, a mu ...
Matthias Matthias is a name derived from the Greek Ματθαίος, in origin similar to Matthew.
Notable people
Notable people named Matthias include the following:
Religion
* Saint Matthias, chosen as an apostle in Acts 1:21–26 to replace Judas Isca ...
Matthijs Matthijs ɑˈtɛi̯s(also Mattijs, Mathijs and Matijs) is a Dutch form of the masculine given name " Matthew". It can also be a surname. Notable people with the name include:
Given name
;Matthijs/Matthys
* Matthijs Accama (1702–1783), Dutch pai ...
Mattia
Mattia is an Italian language, Italian masculine given name and surname, a version of Matteo, which means "gift of God". Notable people with the name include:
Given name
* Mattia Altobelli (footballer, born 1983), Italian footballer
* Mattia Alto ...
Mathew
Mathew is a masculine given name and a variant of Matthew. It is also used as a surname.
As a given name
Notable people with the given name include:
* Mathew Baynton (born 1980), English actor and comedian
* Mat Erpelding (born 1975), Americ ...
Matías Matías is the Spanish version of Matthias (given name), Matthias. In Scandinavian languages (Norwegian, Swedish, Danish and Finnish) and in Portuguese it is unaccented as Matias.
Notable people with the name include:
Given name
*Matías Alemann ...
Matthijs Matthijs ɑˈtɛi̯s(also Mattijs, Mathijs and Matijs) is a Dutch form of the masculine given name " Matthew". It can also be a surname. Notable people with the name include:
Given name
;Matthijs/Matthys
* Matthijs Accama (1702–1783), Dutch pai ...
Patronymic surname
A patronymic surname is a surname originated from the given name of the father or a patrilineal ancestor. Different cultures have different ways of producing patronymic
A patronymic, or patronym, is a component of a personal name based o ...
Matić
Matić ( sr-Cyrl, Матић, ) is a common Croatian and Serbian surname. It is a patronymic name of Mate, the Croatian, or Matija, both Croatian and Serbian variants of the Latin name , English '' Matthew''.
According to Croatian genealogy, the ...
Matteotti Matteotti is an Italian surname. Notable people with the surname include:
*Giacomo Matteotti (1885–1924), Italian politician
* Gianmatteo Matteotti (1921–2000), Italian politician
* Luca Matteotti (born 1989), Italian snowboarder
See also
* ...
Matthews
Matthews may refer to:
People
* Matthews (surname)
Places
* Matthews Island, Antarctica
* Matthews Range, Kenya
* Mount Matthews, New Zealand
United States
* Matthews, Georgia
* Matthews, Indiana
* Matthews, Maryland
* Matthews, Missouri
* Mat ...
Mattioli Mattioli is an Italian surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Alessandro Mattioli (born 1998), Italian footballer
*Carlo Mattioli (born 1954), Italian race walker
* Denise Mattioli (born 1952), Brazilian volleyball player
* Ercole Anto ...
Mattiucci Mattiucci is an Italian surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Franca Mattiucci
Franca Mattiucci (Rome, 1938) is an Italian operatic mezzo-soprano who had an active international career from 1963 to 1987. In her native country she ma ...