Matthew (given name)

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Matthew
Pronunciation/ˈmæθ.juː/
GenderMale
Origin
Word/nameHebrew
Meaning"Gift of God"[1]
Region of originMiddle East
Other names
Alternative spellingMathew
Nickname(s)Matt, Matty
Popularitysee popular names

Matthew is an English language male given name. It ultimately derives from the Hebrew name "מַתִּתְיָהוּ‎" (Matityahu) which means "Gift of God".

Etymology[]

The Hebrew name "מַתִּתְיָהוּ‎" (Matityahu) was transliterated into Greek to "Ματταθίας" (Mattathias).[2] It was subsequently shortened to Greek "Ματθαῖος" (Matthaios); this was Latinised as Matthaeus, which became Matthew in English. The popularity of the name is due to Matthew the Apostle who, in Christian tradition, is one of the twelve apostles of Jesus and the author of the Gospel of Matthew.[3][4][5]

Maiú and Maidiú were Irish forms of the name Matthew among the early Anglo-Normans in Ireland,[6] with Maitiú being the most common Irish form of the name today.[7][8] Matthew is also used as an anglicisation of the Irish name Mathúin (meaning "bear").[9][8]

Popularity[]

The name Matthew became popular during the Middle Ages in Northwest Europe, and has been very common throughout the English-speaking world.[10]

In Ireland, Matthew was ranked the 15th most popular male name in 2007. In 2008, it was ranked 20th, falling to 23rd between 2009-2010, and then 24th between 2011-2012.[11] In 2016, it was the 29th most popular male name in Ireland, rising to 26th in 2017.[12][13]

In the United Kingdom, Matthew has been among the 10 most popular male names. Matthew has been in the top 1,000 most popular male names in Australia, Canada and United States.

List of people[]

Further information: List of people with given name Matthew

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ Robert Horton Gundry (1994). Matthew: A Commentary on His Handbook for a Mixed Church Under Persecution. p. 166. ISBN 9780802807359.
  2. ^ Luk 3:25 and Luk 3:26
  3. ^ "Matthew - Meaning and Origin of the name Matthew". BabyNames.co.uk. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
  4. ^ Gospel of Matthew (Authorship and Sources)
  5. ^ The Lives (Matthew)
  6. ^ Ó Corráin, Donnchadh; Maguire, Fidelma (1981). Gaelic Personal Names. p. 133.
  7. ^ "MAITIÚ - Irish Names and Surnames". Library Ireland. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
  8. ^ a b Woulfe, Patrick (1923). Irish Names and Surnames.
  9. ^ "MATHGHAMHAIN - Irish Names and Surnames". Library Ireland. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
  10. ^ Hanks, Patrick; Hardcastle, Kate; Hodges, Flavia (2006), A Dictionary of First Names, Oxford Paperback Reference (2nd ed.), Oxford University Press, pp. 188–189, ISBN 978-0-19-861060-1
  11. ^ "Irish Babies' Names 2012". TheJournal.ie. Retrieved 21 August 2018.
  12. ^ "Irish Babies' Names 2017". The Central Statistics Office (CSO). Retrieved 21 August 2018.
  13. ^ "Here's what the most popular baby names were in Ireland last year". TheJournal.ie. Retrieved 21 August 2018.
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