Matthew
Pronounced M AE1 TH Y UW0 (ARPABET)
- 2 syllables
- Peaked 1983
- 145 years in use
- Biblical
- 2 spellings
How popular is Matthew?
Matthew is a boys' name, and has been in the record since the data starts in 1880. It has been given to 1,734,458 children — the 14th most common boys' name on record.
It has been slipping, down 43% on the previous decade. Its best single year was 1983, when 52,106 children were given it.
Two other spellings are counted in that total — Mathew and Mathieu — because they are pronounced identically.
Spelling variants
These spellings sound identical to Matthew and are counted together with it, which is why the totals here are higher than a single-spelling count.
- Mathew
- Mathieu
Nicknames
Common short forms: Matt.
Characteristics
- Biblical (Person)
- 2 syllables
Phonetic detail
- Pronunciations:
- M AE1 TH Y UW0
- Stress pattern:
- 10
- Syllables:
- 2
Stress digits mark unstressed (0), primary (1) and secondary (2) syllables.
Names like Matthew
Same first letter and syllable count, peaking around the same time.
Sibling names for Matthew
Names from the same era with a matching rhythm but a different initial.
Frequently asked questions
- How popular is the name Matthew?
- Matthew ranks 14th among boys' names in US records, with 1,734,458 births since 1880. Over the past decade it accounts for 98,618.
- Is Matthew a unisex name?
- No. Matthew is recorded almost entirely as a boys' name; births to the other gender are too few to register as a share.
- When was Matthew most popular?
- 1983, when 52,106 children were given the name. It has been in use for 145 years and is still recorded as of 2024.
- What are common nicknames for Matthew?
- Matt. These are recorded as separate names in their own right, so each has its own page and its own popularity curve.
- How else is Matthew spelled?
- Mathew, Mathieu. All of these sound the same and are counted together in the totals on this page.