Matthew
- Gender
- Boy
- Say it
- MATH-yoo
- Origin
- Hebrew
- UK rank, 2025
- #127 for boys
- US rank, 2025
- #32 for boys
TimelessBig in Northern Ireland
Matthew is a boys' name of Hebrew origin, meaning “gift of God”. In 2025 it ranked 127th for boys in the UK (455 babies) and 32nd for boys in the US (7,003 babies).
What does Matthew mean?
Hebrew: from Mattityahu, via Greek and Latin
“gift of God”
St Matthew, a tax collector called by Jesus, was one of the twelve apostles and is credited with the first Gospel.
More on Wiktionary.
Is Matthew a girl's or a boy's name?
Matthew is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 455 boys in the UK and 5 girls and 7,003 boys in the US.
How popular is Matthew in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- #127among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 455about 1 in 660 boys
- Five-year trend
- Fallingdown 43% in five years
- Same name in a class
- 2.1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 455 boys in the UK were named Matthew, making it the 127th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 100th. Its busiest year was 1997, with 8,362 boys.
It has been given to fewer boys each year for the last 10 years. 2025 had the fewest boys named Matthew since the records began in 1996.
Half of all the boys named Matthew in the UK since 1996 were born between 1998 and 2008. It was already well used in 1996, when the records begin, so earlier boys aren't counted.
Among boys in 2025, it was 153rd in England and Wales, 79th in Scotland and 61st in Northern Ireland.
In the England and Wales top 100 for boys, which the ONS has published every ten years since 1904: 1904 (#84), 1914 (#85), 1964 (#52), 1974 (#10), 1984 (#6), 1994 (#5), 2004 (#12) and 2014 (#49).
Matthew in the UK, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 455 | #127 |
| 2024 | 474 | #129 |
| 2023 | 514 | #116 |
| 2022 | 629 | #99 |
| 2021 | 637 | #108 |
| 2020 | 654 | #100 |
| 2019 | 855 | #78 |
| 2018 | 1,027 | #70 |
| 2017 | 1,261 | #56 |
| 2016 | 1,479 | #46 |
| 2015 | 1,649 | #42 |
| 2014 | 1,576 | #44 |
| 2013 | 1,712 | #45 |
| 2012 | 1,954 | #42 |
| 2011 | 2,286 | #38 |
| 2010 | 2,517 | #35 |
| 2009 | 2,712 | #29 |
| 2008 | 3,198 | #23 |
| 2007 | 3,623 | #20 |
| 2006 | 4,074 | #14 |
| 2005 | 4,351 | #12 |
| 2004 | 4,940 | #11 |
| 2003 | 5,221 | #7 |
| 2002 | 5,144 | #10 |
| 2001 | 5,589 | #7 |
| 2000 | 6,299 | #6 |
| 1999 | 7,030 | #6 |
| 1998 | 8,083 | #5 |
| 1997 | 8,362 | #5 |
| 1996 | 7,847 | #6 |
How popular is Matthew in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- #32among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 7,003about 1 in 240 boys
- Five-year trend
- Steadydown 22% in five years
- Same name in a class
- 5.6%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 7,003 boys in the US were named Matthew, making it the 32nd most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 30th. Its busiest year was 1983, with 50,209 boys. 5 girls were also named Matthew in 2025 (14,937th for girls).
2025 had fewer boys named Matthew than any year since 1960.
Half of all the boys named Matthew in the US since 1880 were born between 1978 and 1999, the years shaded on the chart below.
Matthew in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 7,003 | #32 |
| 2024 | 7,107 | #33 |
| 2023 | 7,234 | #32 |
| 2022 | 7,077 | #39 |
| 2021 | 7,489 | #36 |
| 2020 | 8,142 | #30 |
| 2019 | 9,277 | #23 |
| 2018 | 10,009 | #20 |
| 2017 | 11,732 | #16 |
| 2016 | 12,665 | #15 |
| 2015 | 12,785 | #15 |
| 2014 | 12,944 | #16 |
| 2013 | 13,364 | #15 |
| 2012 | 13,993 | #12 |
| 2011 | 14,184 | #12 |
| 2010 | 14,148 | #16 |
| 2009 | 16,010 | #13 |
| 2008 | 17,604 | #10 |
| 2007 | 18,756 | #9 |
| 2006 | 20,339 | #5 |
| 2005 | 21,483 | #4 |
| 2004 | 22,882 | #4 |
| 2003 | 24,011 | #4 |
| 2002 | 25,154 | #4 |
| 2001 | 26,812 | #3 |
| 2000 | 28,580 | #3 |
| 1999 | 30,418 | #3 |
| 1998 | 31,146 | #3 |
| 1997 | 31,517 | #3 |
| 1996 | 32,077 | #2 |
| 1995 | 32,882 | #2 |
| 1994 | 33,654 | #3 |
| 1993 | 35,782 | #3 |
| 1992 | 37,733 | #3 |
| 1991 | 41,647 | #3 |
| 1990 | 44,826 | #3 |
| 1989 | 45,375 | #3 |
| 1988 | 45,876 | #3 |
| 1987 | 46,511 | #3 |
| 1986 | 46,929 | #3 |
| 1985 | 47,075 | #3 |
| 1984 | 49,767 | #3 |
| 1983 | 50,209 | #3 |
| 1982 | 46,045 | #3 |
| 1981 | 43,330 | #3 |
| 1980 | 37,834 | #6 |
| 1979 | 35,621 | #6 |
| 1978 | 34,282 | #6 |
| 1977 | 31,965 | #9 |
| 1976 | 29,951 | #9 |
| 1975 | 28,527 | #9 |
| 1974 | 27,194 | #9 |
| 1973 | 24,531 | #10 |
| 1972 | 22,928 | #10 |
| 1971 | 22,543 | #19 |
| 1970 | 20,185 | #24 |
| 1969 | 17,462 | #24 |
| 1968 | 15,823 | #24 |
| 1967 | 13,568 | #28 |
| 1966 | 10,803 | #34 |
| 1965 | 9,982 | #36 |
| 1964 | 8,981 | #43 |
| 1963 | 8,034 | #50 |
| 1962 | 7,279 | #56 |
| 1961 | 7,081 | #59 |
| 1960 | 6,925 | #61 |
| 1959 | 6,542 | #63 |
| 1958 | 6,377 | #60 |
| 1957 | 5,234 | #83 |
| 1956 | 4,366 | #90 |
| 1955 | 3,279 | #105 |
| 1954 | 2,688 | #124 |
| 1953 | 2,374 | #130 |
| 1952 | 2,032 | #142 |
| 1951 | 1,605 | #163 |
| 1950 | 1,299 | #174 |
| 1949 | 1,219 | #176 |
| 1948 | 1,054 | #190 |
| 1947 | 1,045 | #196 |
| 1946 | 892 | #194 |
| 1945 | 730 | #198 |
| 1944 | 765 | #195 |
| 1943 | 822 | #197 |
| 1942 | 842 | #189 |
| 1941 | 727 | #198 |
| 1940 | 664 | #198 |
| 1939 | 622 | #201 |
| 1938 | 608 | #205 |
| 1937 | 605 | #201 |
| 1936 | 608 | #202 |
| 1935 | 654 | #195 |
| 1934 | 610 | #202 |
| 1933 | 581 | #201 |
| 1932 | 702 | #188 |
| 1931 | 608 | #208 |
| 1930 | 657 | #204 |
| 1929 | 727 | #189 |
| 1928 | 784 | #182 |
| 1927 | 790 | #183 |
| 1926 | 777 | #185 |
| 1925 | 840 | #174 |
| 1924 | 850 | #171 |
| 1923 | 935 | #163 |
| 1922 | 982 | #159 |
| 1921 | 914 | #161 |
| 1920 | 967 | #151 |
| 1919 | 879 | #152 |
| 1918 | 963 | #148 |
| 1917 | 862 | #149 |
| 1916 | 825 | #148 |
| 1915 | 798 | #150 |
| 1914 | 613 | #151 |
| 1913 | 491 | #151 |
| 1912 | 380 | #156 |
| 1911 | 220 | #152 |
| 1910 | 197 | #158 |
| 1909 | 147 | #166 |
| 1908 | 152 | #155 |
| 1907 | 124 | #174 |
| 1906 | 136 | #150 |
| 1905 | 107 | #177 |
| 1904 | 97 | #185 |
| 1903 | 102 | #166 |
| 1902 | 104 | #167 |
| 1901 | 89 | #167 |
| 1900 | 130 | #161 |
| 1899 | 101 | #150 |
| 1898 | 133 | #135 |
| 1897 | 100 | #156 |
| 1896 | 123 | #136 |
| 1895 | 112 | #139 |
| 1894 | 124 | #131 |
| 1893 | 108 | #138 |
| 1892 | 132 | #128 |
| 1891 | 113 | #122 |
| 1890 | 86 | #164 |
| 1889 | 118 | #118 |
| 1888 | 114 | #136 |
| 1887 | 108 | #123 |
| 1886 | 112 | #123 |
| 1885 | 111 | #123 |
| 1884 | 117 | #123 |
| 1883 | 86 | #152 |
| 1882 | 109 | #127 |
| 1881 | 80 | #154 |
| 1880 | 113 | #116 |
Nicknames for Matthew
Names like Matthew
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Nathan Michael Adam Daniel Benjamin Aaron Jamie Joshua Luke Toby Jason Ryan
Other spellings of Matthew
Names related to Matthew
More Hebrew names
Noah Isabella Elijah James Jack Mia Ava Jude Ezra Isaac Jacob Ethan Samuel Elias Mateo Elsie
Sources
Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland), Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency) and Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.
To cite this page: Nameling, “Matthew: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/matthew, updated 20 October 2026.