Matthew

Gift of God; more specifically, gift of Yahweh.

Matthew is an English masculine name with Hebrew roots, usually translated as “gift of God”. The older name refers specifically to Yahweh, the divine name in the Hebrew tradition. Its Christian association comes through the apostle Matthew and the Gospel traditionally attributed to him. In English, /ˈmæθ.juː/ has two syllables, with the emphasis at the beginning. The middle th is /θ/, followed by /juː/, like English “you”; this gives the name a softer finish than its cluster of written consonants might suggest. Matthew can feel settled and gentle, without needing an ornate ending. Related forms such as German Matthäus, French Matthieu and Spanish Mateo share its background but have their own sound and shape. Choosing Matthew gives that family of names a distinctly English form.

Etymology: An English form transmitted through Greek, Latin and French from the Hebrew name Mattithiah.