Matt Boy
Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: Mat /mæt/
Origin: Hebrew; Latin
Meaning: Hebrew: Gift of God; Latin: Warlike
Historical & Cultural Background
The name Matt is derived from the Hebrew name Mattityahu, meaning "gift of God." This name evolved through various linguistic stages, beginning with the Hebrew form, which was transliterated into Greek as Matthaios. The name was then adopted into Latin as Mattheus, before making its way into Old French as Mathieu, and finally into Middle English as Matthewe.
The shortened form, Matt, emerged as a diminutive in English-speaking contexts, particularly from the 20th century onward, although its roots trace back to the original Hebrew meaning. Historically, the name Matt is closely associated with Saint Matthew, one of the twelve apostles of Jesus and traditionally regarded as the author of the Gospel of Matthew.
This Gospel, one of the four canonical gospels in the New Testament, was likely composed in the first century CE and has had a significant impact on Christian theology and liturgy. The name Matthew, and by extension its diminutive Matt, gained prominence in Christian contexts due to the saint's importance in early Christianity and the subsequent translations of the Bible, including the influential King James Version published in 1611.
Culturally, the name Matt has been embraced in various contexts, often symbolizing qualities of generosity and divine favor, reflective of its original meaning. The name has been borne by numerous notable figures throughout history, including various saints and scholars, which has contributed to its enduring legacy.
The diminutive Matt is often used informally, reflecting a sense of familiarity and warmth. Overall, the name Matt encapsulates a rich historical and cultural significance rooted in its biblical origins.
Famous people named Matt
In this section, you will find notable people named Matt. 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 Matt who have made a significant impact on popular culture.
We also feature individuals named Matt 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.
Matt Damon is an actor best known for Good Will Hunting, The Martian, and the Bourne series.
Matt LeBlanc is an actor best known for Friends, Episodes, and Top Gear.
Matt Groening is a cartoonist best known for The Simpsons, Futurama, and Life in Hell.
Matt Smith is an actor best known for Doctor Who, The Crown, and Terminator Genisys.
Matt Bomer is an actor best known for White Collar, Magic Mike, and The Normal Heart.
Matt Hardy is a professional wrestler best known for his time in WWE and tag team success with his brother Jeff Hardy.
Matt Bellamy is a musician best known as the lead vocalist and guitarist of the band Muse.
Matt Parker is a mathematician and comedian best known for his work on Numberphile and his books on mathematics.
Matt Stone is a co-creator of South Park and is known for his work on the Broadway musical The Book of Mormon.
Matt Kuchar is a professional golfer best known for winning multiple PGA Tour events and representing the U.S. in the Ryder Cup.
Fictional characters named Matt
The following list of fictional characters named Matt 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.
Matt Murdock is a fictional character from the comic book series Daredevil. He is a blind lawyer by day and vigilante by night, fighting crime in Hell's Kitchen.
Sibling suggestions
If you're looking for sibling name ideas that pair well with Matt, the following options are frequently chosen as complementary choices by parents.
Similar names
Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Matt. 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.
U.S. Historical Usage
The name Matt was first seen in the United States in 1880.
Matt has ranked as high as #523 nationally, which occurred in 1959, and has been most popular in California, Illinois, Ohio, Michigan, and Indiana.
In the past 5 years the name Matt has been trending down compared to the previous 5 years.
Popularity Over Time (National)
The name Matt 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 Matt was first recorded in the United States and illustrates how its popularity has risen and fallen over time.
Top States for Matt (2024)
We track the most popular states for each baby name every year and highlight the locations where the name appears most frequently. In some cases, you may see four or five states listed. However, we only display states where the name represents a significant percentage of births, so the number of states shown can range from one to several.
| State | Births | Share |
|---|---|---|
| CA | 7 | |
| TX | 6 | |
| FL | 5 |
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 Matt.
| Year | Births |
|---|---|
| 2024 | 46 |
| 2023 | 46 |
| 2022 | 34 |
| 2021 | 37 |
| 2020 | 37 |
| 2019 | 39 |
| 2018 | 42 |
| 2017 | 72 |
| 2016 | 59 |
| 2015 | 57 |
| 2014 | 61 |
| 2013 | 47 |
| 2012 | 56 |
| 2011 | 44 |
| 2010 | 51 |
| 2009 | 60 |
| 2008 | 68 |
| 2007 | 62 |
| 2006 | 67 |
| 2005 | 40 |
| 2004 | 46 |
| 2003 | 55 |
| 2002 | 59 |
| 2001 | 53 |
| 2000 | 48 |
| 1999 | 69 |
| 1998 | 56 |
| 1997 | 56 |
| 1996 | 53 |
| 1995 | 50 |
| 1994 | 67 |
| 1993 | 60 |
| 1992 | 87 |
| 1991 | 83 |
| 1990 | 92 |
| 1989 | 105 |
| 1988 | 145 |
| 1987 | 135 |
| 1986 | 163 |
| 1985 | 167 |
| 1984 | 178 |
| 1983 | 226 |
| 1982 | 197 |
| 1981 | 198 |
| 1980 | 237 |
| 1979 | 255 |
| 1978 | 234 |
| 1977 | 293 |
| 1976 | 340 |
| 1975 | 409 |
| 1974 | 400 |
| 1973 | 502 |
| 1972 | 588 |
| 1971 | 805 |
| 1970 | 739 |
| 1969 | 799 |
| 1968 | 782 |
| 1967 | 707 |
| 1966 | 727 |
| 1965 | 800 |
| 1964 | 882 |
| 1963 | 906 |
| 1962 | 857 |
| 1961 | 888 |
| 1960 | 878 |
| 1959 | 975 |
| 1958 | 907 |
| 1957 | 569 |
| 1956 | 371 |
| 1955 | 196 |
| 1954 | 139 |
| 1953 | 108 |
| 1952 | 80 |
| 1951 | 92 |
| 1950 | 76 |
| 1949 | 77 |
| 1948 | 87 |
| 1947 | 78 |
| 1946 | 76 |
| 1945 | 60 |
| 1944 | 61 |
| 1943 | 63 |
| 1942 | 74 |
| 1941 | 55 |
| 1940 | 66 |
| 1939 | 53 |
| 1938 | 57 |
| 1937 | 49 |
| 1936 | 66 |
| 1935 | 59 |
| 1934 | 60 |
| 1933 | 55 |
| 1932 | 58 |
| 1931 | 59 |
| 1930 | 71 |
| 1929 | 65 |
| 1928 | 67 |
| 1927 | 73 |
| 1926 | 75 |
| 1925 | 87 |
| 1924 | 93 |
| 1923 | 89 |
| 1922 | 101 |
| 1921 | 104 |
| 1920 | 94 |
| 1919 | 101 |
| 1918 | 128 |
| 1917 | 114 |
| 1916 | 105 |
| 1915 | 106 |
| 1914 | 103 |
| 1913 | 60 |
| 1912 | 54 |
| 1911 | 40 |
| 1910 | 27 |
| 1909 | 32 |
| 1908 | 19 |
| 1907 | 22 |
| 1906 | 25 |
| 1905 | 24 |
| 1904 | 24 |
| 1903 | 27 |
| 1902 | 27 |
| 1901 | 21 |
| 1900 | 31 |
| 1899 | 21 |
| 1898 | 24 |
| 1897 | 20 |
| 1896 | 28 |
| 1895 | 26 |
| 1894 | 23 |
| 1893 | 30 |
| 1892 | 30 |
| 1891 | 27 |
| 1890 | 28 |
| 1889 | 33 |
| 1888 | 43 |
| 1887 | 34 |
| 1886 | 27 |
| 1885 | 41 |
| 1884 | 55 |
| 1883 | 39 |
| 1882 | 26 |
| 1881 | 29 |
| 1880 | 41 |