English language
English is a West Germanic language of the Indo-European language family, with its earliest forms spoken by the inhabitants of early medieval England. It is named after the Angles, one of the ancient Germanic peoples that migrated to the is ...
male
given name
A given name (also known as a forename or first name) is the part of a personal name quoted in that identifies a person, potentially with a middle name as well, and differentiates that person from the other members of a group (typically a fa ...
. It ultimately derives from the
Hebrew
Hebrew (; ; ) is a Northwest Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Historically, it is one of the spoken languages of the Israelites and their longest-surviving descendants, the Jews and Samaritans. It was largely preserved ...
name "" (''Matityahu'') which means "Gift of
Yahweh
Yahweh *''Yahwe'', was the national god of ancient Israel and Judah. The origins of his worship reach at least to the early Iron Age, and likely to the Late Bronze Age if not somewhat earlier, and in the oldest biblical literature he poss ...
".
Etymology
The
Hebrew
Hebrew (; ; ) is a Northwest Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Historically, it is one of the spoken languages of the Israelites and their longest-surviving descendants, the Jews and Samaritans. It was largely preserved ...
name "" (Matityahu) was transliterated into
Greek
Greek may refer to:
Greece
Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe:
*Greeks, an ethnic group.
*Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family.
**Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...
to "Ματταθίας" (''Mattathias''). 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
Matthew the Apostle,, shortened to ''Matti'' (whence ar, مَتَّى, Mattā), meaning "Gift of YHWH"; arc, , Mattai; grc-koi, Μαθθαῖος, ''Maththaîos'' or , ''Matthaîos''; cop, ⲙⲁⲧⲑⲉⲟⲥ, Mattheos; la, Matthaeus a ...
who, in Christian tradition, is one of the
twelve apostles
In Christian theology and ecclesiology, the apostles, particularly the Twelve Apostles (also known as the Twelve Disciples or simply the Twelve), were the primary disciples of Jesus according to the New Testament. During the life and minist ...
of
Jesus
Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...
and the author of the
Gospel of Matthew
The Gospel of Matthew), or simply Matthew. It is most commonly abbreviated as "Matt." is the first book of the New Testament of the Bible and one of the three synoptic Gospels. It tells how Israel's Messiah, Jesus, comes to his people and for ...
.
Maiú and Maidiú were both a borrowing of the name Matthew among the
Anglo-Normans
The Anglo-Normans ( nrf, Anglo-Normaunds, ang, Engel-Norðmandisca) were the medieval ruling class in England, composed mainly of a combination of ethnic Normans, French, Anglo-Saxons, Flemings and Bretons, following the Norman conquest. A sma ...
settlers in
Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
.
Maitiú
Maitiú is an Irish form of Matthew, a male given name of biblical origin.
See also
*Matha
A ''matha'' (; sa, मठ, ), also written as ''math'', ''muth'', ''mutth'', ''mutt'', or ''mut'', is a Sanskrit word that means 'institute or colle ...
is the most common
Irish
Irish may refer to:
Common meanings
* Someone or something of, from, or related to:
** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe
***Éire, Irish language name for the isle
** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...
form of the name. Matthew is also used as an anglicisation of the Irish name '' Mathúin'' (meaning "bear").
Popularity
The name Matthew became popular during the
Middle Ages
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...
in
Northwest Europe
Northwestern Europe, or Northwest Europe, is a loosely defined subregion of Europe, overlapping Northern and Western Europe. The region can be defined both geographically and ethnographically.
Geographic definitions
Geographically, Northw ...
, and has been very common throughout the
English-speaking world
Speakers of English are also known as Anglophones, and the countries where English is natively spoken by the majority of the population are termed the '' Anglosphere''. Over two billion people speak English , making English the largest langua ...
.
In
Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
, 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. In 2016, it was the 29th most popular male name in Ireland, rising to 26th in 2017.
In the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
, Matthew has been among the 10 most popular male names. Matthew has been in the top 1,000 most popular male names in
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
,
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
and
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
.
List of people
See also
*
Maciej Maciej (Polish pronunciation: ) is a Polish given name, the etymological equivalent of Matthias. Its diminutive forms are Maciek, Maciuś.
Namedays according to Polish calendar: 30 January, 24 February, 14 May
Maciej may refer to:
Arts and ent ...
*
Madis
Madis is an Estonian masculine given name. As of 1 January 2020, 2,635 men in Estonia bear the name Madis. It is the 53rd most popular male name in Estonia.Mads
*
Maitiú
Maitiú is an Irish form of Matthew, a male given name of biblical origin.
See also
*Matha
A ''matha'' (; sa, मठ, ), also written as ''math'', ''muth'', ''mutth'', ''mutt'', or ''mut'', is a Sanskrit word that means 'institute or colle ...
Matej Matej is a given name that originates from the Slavic nations of Central and Eastern Europe. It is one of the most common male names in Slovakia and Slovenia, and is also common in Croatia. The name is originally derived from Matthias the Apostle.
...
*
Mateja Mateja ( sr, Матеја) is a given name, variant of the Greek given name ''Mathias'' ( Matthew). In Serbian, it's a masculine name, while in Croatian and Slovene, it's a feminine name.
Notable people with the name include:
Given name
* Mateja A ...
Mateusz Mateusz is a Polish language, Polish given name, equivalent to Hebrew names Matityahu and Matthew (name), Matthew, meaning "gift of Yahweh".
List
Notable people with the name include: B–H
*Mateusz Bąk (born 1983), Polish football goalkeeper
*Ma ...
*
Matevž
Matevž (puréed beans with Pork rind, cracklings) is a Slovenia, Slovene national dish. The dish is typical of central Slovenia, especially of the Gottschee, Kočevje region. It is made of beans and potatoes. Its origins come from the 19th centu ...
*
Matha
A ''matha'' (; sa, मठ, ), also written as ''math'', ''muth'', ''mutth'', ''mutt'', or ''mut'', is a Sanskrit word that means 'institute or college', and it also refers to a monastery in Hinduism.
*
Matheus Matheus is a Portuguese given name: Notable people with the name include:
* Matheus Aiás (born 1996), Brazilian footballer
* Matheus Alessandro (born 1996), Brazilian footballer
* Matheus Pucinelli de Almeida (born 2001), Brazilian tennis player
...
Mathieu
Mathieu is both a surname and a given name. Notable people with the name include:
Surname
* André Mathieu (1929–1968), Canadian pianist and composer
* Anselme Mathieu (1828–1895), French Provençal poet
* Claude-Louis Mathieu (1783–187 ...
Matija Matija is a South Slavic masculine and feminine given name, a variant of Matthew. Notable people with the name include:
* Matija Ahacel (1779–1845), Carinthian Slovene philologist, publicist, and collector of folk songs
* Matija Antun Relkovi ...
Matúš
Matus can be both a given name and surname. Common variants include Matúš, Matuš, and Matůš. Notable people with the name include:
Given name
;Matus
* Matus Bisnovat (1905–1977), Soviet aircraft and missile designer
* Matus Tomko (born 197 ...
Matteo
Matteo is the Italian form of the given name Matthew. Another form is Mattia. The Hebrew meaning of Matteo is "gift of god". Matteo can also be used as a patronymic surname, often in the forms of de Matteo, De Matteo or DeMatteo, meaning " escen ...
Mattias
Mattias is a masculine given name found most prominently in Northern Europe. It is a cognate of Matthew and Matthias, and may refer to:
Sports
* Mattias Adelstam (born 1982), Swedish footballer
* Mattias Asper (born 1974), Swedish goalkeepe ...