Matthew

Commonly explained as “gift of God.”

Matthew is a widely used masculine given name with a long history in English and other European languages. It stays familiar partly because it has a stable spelling pattern and partly because it is anchored in biblical tradition and widely recognized across many communities. Etymologically, Matthew is typically traced from the Hebrew Mattityahu through Greek and Latin forms used in biblical texts. It is commonly interpreted as “gift of God,” sometimes phrased more specifically as “gift of YHWH.” The cultural context is important: in Christian tradition, Matthew is associated with an apostle and with the Gospel of Matthew, which has contributed to the name’s long-term transmission and repeated use. In English, pronunciation is typically MATH-yoo with two syllables. A practical note is that many languages have their own conventional forms (Matteo, Mateo, Matthias), but those are not the same spelling; if you’re choosing “Matthew” specifically, the simple nickname Matt is the most common everyday shortening.

Etymology: Matthew comes through Greek/Latin biblical transmission from a Hebrew name often given as Mattityahu, commonly interpreted as “gift of YHWH/God.” The name is strongly associated with the apostle/evangelist Matthew in Christian tradition.