Mathew Boy

Popularity: #705 · Trend: ↘ Falling

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: MATH-yoo //ˈmæθ.juː//

Origin: Hebrew; English

Meaning: Hebrew: gift of God; English: variant of Matthew

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Mathew is derived from the Hebrew name Matityahu, meaning "gift of God." This name was transliterated into Greek as Matthaios and subsequently into Latin as Matthaeus. The transition into Old French as Mathieu ultimately led to the modern English form, Mathew.

The name has deep roots in religious texts, particularly in the Christian tradition, where it is associated with Saint Matthew, one of the twelve apostles and the author of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament. This Gospel, believed to have been written in the first century, plays a significant role in Christian theology and has contributed to the name's enduring presence in various cultures.

Historically, the name Mathew has been borne by numerous notable figures, including saints and scholars. The Feast of Saint Matthew is celebrated on September 21, commemorating his contributions to Christianity.

The name's prominence was further solidified during the Middle Ages, as it became popular among Christians in Europe, particularly in England, due to its biblical associations. The King James Bible, published in 1611, also played a role in popularizing the name through its use in religious contexts.

Culturally, Mathew has been associated with qualities such as wisdom and faithfulness, reflecting the characteristics attributed to Saint Matthew in religious narratives. The name has various diminutive forms, such as Matt, which have also gained usage over time.

The enduring significance of Mathew in religious and cultural contexts underscores its historical resonance, making it a name with a rich legacy that spans centuries.

Famous people named Mathew

In this section, you will find notable people named Mathew. We include individuals across a wide range of fields, including actors known for their work in film, television, and stage productions. You'll also find musicians, directors, and other public figures named Mathew who have made a significant impact on popular culture.

We also feature individuals named Mathew who have made meaningful contributions to science, politics, athletics, literature, and other areas of public interest.

Please note that not every baby name in our database currently has a famous namesake listed. If you would like to suggest a name we may have missed or submit a correction, feel free to contact us. We review and finalize additions and corrections within 24 hours.

Mathew Perry is an actor best known for Friends, The Whole Nine Yards, and 17 Again.

Mathew Horne is an actor best known for Gavin & Stacey, The Bad Education Movie, and The Catherine Tate Show.

Mathew Knowles is a music executive best known for managing Destiny's Child and Beyoncé.

Mathew Baynton is an actor best known for Horrible Histories, Yonderland, and The Wrong Mans.

Fictional characters named Mathew

The following list of fictional characters named Mathew is a work in progress. If you would like to suggest an additional character, please send us the character's name along with a brief, one-sentence description of what they are best known for.

You may also submit corrections, which we will review and update as quickly as possible.

Mathew is a fictional character from the video game series The Legend of Zelda. He is a key figure in the storyline, often providing guidance and support to the protagonist Link.

Sibling suggestions

If you're looking for sibling name ideas that pair well with Mathew, the following options are frequently chosen as complementary choices by parents.

MarkLukeJohnJamesPaulPeter

Similar names

Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Mathew. These names can serve as alternatives to the sibling suggestions listed above and may help you find the perfect complementary name for your growing family.

MatthewMaddoxMalcolmMaxwellMasonMiloMarcusMartin

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Mathew was first seen in the United States in 1880.

Mathew has ranked as high as #289 nationally, which occurred in 1990, and has been most popular in California, New York, Texas, Ohio, and Florida.

In the past 5 years the name Mathew has been trending down compared to the previous 5 years.

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Mathew is part of our comprehensive baby names database, which includes Social Security Administration (SSA) data dating back to 1880—the first official year of state and national tracking. The chart below shows when Mathew was first recorded in the United States and illustrates how its popularity has risen and fallen over time.

Popularity Over Time (National) — Table

We track the national popularity of each baby name annually. The table below displays each year along with the number of births reported by the Social Security Administration. This data combines all state-level reporting from the SSA's baby names database to provide a comprehensive view of overall birth counts for Mathew.

Year Total Births Boy Girl
2025 235 235 0
2024 246 246 0
2023 259 259 0
2022 271 271 0
2021 315 315 0
2020 352 352 0
2019 389 389 0
2018 479 479 0
2017 503 503 0
2016 565 565 0
2015 628 628 0
2014 625 625 0
2013 674 674 0
2012 656 656 0
2011 691 691 0
2010 700 700 0
2009 799 799 0
2008 833 833 0
2007 926 926 0
2006 1,011 1,011 0
2005 1,093 1,093 0
2004 1,092 1,092 0
2003 1,125 1,125 0
2002 1,121 1,121 0
2001 1,272 1,272 0
2000 1,348 1,343 5
1999 1,476 1,471 5
1998 1,452 1,452 0
1997 1,432 1,432 0
1996 1,514 1,514 0
1995 1,600 1,600 0
1994 1,634 1,634 0
1993 1,716 1,705 11
1992 1,841 1,833 8
1991 1,993 1,984 9
1990 2,184 2,174 10
1989 2,171 2,162 9
1988 2,070 2,061 9
1987 2,059 2,045 14
1986 1,984 1,967 17
1985 1,897 1,880 17
1984 1,983 1,968 15
1983 1,876 1,866 10
1982 1,717 1,712 5
1981 1,627 1,627 0
1980 1,341 1,334 7
1979 1,267 1,256 11
1978 1,298 1,286 12
1977 1,245 1,240 5
1976 1,167 1,162 5
1975 1,132 1,125 7
1974 1,092 1,084 8
1973 1,035 1,027 8
1972 905 905 0
1971 935 935 0
1970 829 829 0
1969 655 655 0
1968 617 617 0
1967 594 594 0
1966 476 476 0
1965 443 443 0
1964 448 448 0
1963 412 412 0
1962 325 325 0
1961 347 347 0
1960 336 336 0
1959 359 359 0
1958 348 348 0
1957 251 251 0
1956 230 230 0
1955 175 175 0
1954 183 183 0
1953 161 161 0
1952 140 140 0
1951 124 124 0
1950 88 88 0
1949 116 116 0
1948 82 82 0
1947 93 93 0
1946 78 78 0
1945 90 90 0
1944 76 76 0
1943 82 82 0
1942 78 78 0
1941 82 82 0
1940 89 89 0
1939 66 66 0
1938 78 78 0
1937 75 75 0
1936 83 83 0
1935 90 90 0
1934 91 91 0
1933 89 89 0
1932 101 101 0
1931 97 97 0
1930 120 120 0
1929 136 136 0
1928 154 154 0
1927 147 147 0
1926 167 167 0
1925 163 163 0
1924 192 192 0
1923 178 178 0
1922 203 203 0
1921 192 192 0
1920 207 207 0
1919 247 247 0
1918 206 206 0
1917 208 208 0
1916 217 217 0
1915 204 204 0
1914 143 143 0
1913 140 140 0
1912 121 121 0
1911 45 45 0
1910 53 53 0
1909 42 42 0
1908 33 33 0
1907 54 54 0
1906 21 21 0
1905 36 36 0
1904 29 29 0
1903 34 34 0
1902 40 40 0
1901 39 39 0
1900 57 57 0
1899 39 39 0
1898 42 42 0
1897 50 50 0
1896 40 40 0
1895 33 33 0
1894 30 30 0
1893 39 39 0
1892 55 55 0
1891 44 44 0
1890 43 43 0
1889 42 42 0
1888 67 67 0
1887 31 31 0
1886 48 48 0
1885 34 34 0
1884 53 53 0
1883 37 37 0
1882 47 47 0
1881 55 55 0
1880 60 60 0

Top States for Mathew (2024)

We track the most popular states for each baby name every year and highlight the locations where the name appears most frequently. The table below shows the five states with the highest number of births for this name in the selected year. Use the toggle to expand the list to every state with reported births.

State Births Share
CA 57
31%
TX 37
20%
FL 14
8%
NY 13
7%
NJ 11
6%
GA 11
6%
MA 7
4%
AZ 7
4%
OH 7
4%
IL 6
3%
UT 6
3%
MN 5
3%
VA 5
3%