Matthew is a boy name with a classic feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Matthew means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Matthew across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Matthew has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Matthew is a boy name of Hebrew origin meaning “gift of God”. the name of an apostle and gospel writer.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 1,659,655 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 80,812 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 14,458 births |
| Northern Ireland since 1997 | 6,242 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 12,256 births |
| New Zealand top 100, since 1954 | 23,459 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Matthew per year, United States (1880 to 2025). United States peaked in 1983 (50,526/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 1997 (7,443/yr) · Scotland peaked in 1997 (509/yr) · Ireland peaked in 2007 (430/yr) · Northern Ireland peaked in 1998 (429/yr).
Matthew has been one of the most popular baby names in the United States. It was most common in 1983, when it ranked #4 nationally (given to 50,894 babies that year), and a popular choice in the 1980s.
Mathew · Matheo · Mathieu · Matha · Mattheo · Math · Matthieu · Mathhew
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