Etymology & Historical Origin of the Baby Name Mathew

Mathew is a variant spelling of Matthew which is the English form of the Hebrew name “Mattathia”, meaning ‘Gift of God’. Matthew is best known as the Christian evangelist who wrote the first gospel of the New Testament. As an important figure in the Christian Bible, the name Matthew and its many variations have been used widely throughout the English and Spanish (Mateo) speaking worlds as well as all over Europe. The name Matthew has enjoyed heavy usage since the 12th century. Mathew with one “t” has been around for at least a couple hundred years and seems to experience most of its usage in North America and Australia. The traditional spelling of Matthew is twenty times more common than Mathew in the United States.

All About the Baby Name – Mathew

Personality

OF THE BOY NAME MATHEW

The number Seven personality is deeply mystical and highly in tune with their spirituality. They operate on a different wavelength than the average joe. Spending time alone comes easily to Sevens, as it gives them time to contemplate philosophical, religious and spiritual ideas in an effort to find "real truth".  Sevens are wise, but often exude mystery as if they are tapped into something the rest of us don't understand. They love the outdoors and are fed by nature. Sevens are constantly seeking to understand human nature, our place in the universe, and the mystery of life in general. This makes them quite artistic and poetic, but they are also keen observers with high intellect - so they are equally scientific-minded. Sevens are charitable and care deeply about the human condition.

Popularity

OF THE BOY NAME MATHEW

Mathew is a spelling variation of Matthew that’s been quite a bit more popular in America than we would have expected. And it’s been around longer than we would have guessed, too. Mathew (with one “t”) has existed on the U.S. male naming charts since the late 19th century. At the turn of the 20th century, Mathew was moderately popular but declined to low levels of usage in the 1940s. The name returned again to relatively high moderation in the 1980s and is now backing down to levels of lower moderation. While Matthew with the traditional two “t”s is given to about 14,000 baby boys per year, Mathew has about 5% of that market share. Matthew is such a standard English name – one that’s been around for so long and has experienced so much success – that any boy with the “Mathew” spelling is going to be forced through life saying “Mathew, that’s Matthew with one T.” The name just looks too incomplete without that extra “t”. Perhaps parents opting for this spelling are “math” enthusiasts?

Quick Facts

ON MATHEW

GENDER:

Boy

ORIGIN:

American

NUMBER OF SYLLABLES:

2

RANKING POPULARITY:

430

PRONUNCIATION:

MATH-yoo

SIMPLE MEANING:

Gift of God

Characteristics

OF MATHEW

Mystical

Wise

Eccentric

Intuitive

Imaginative

Philosophical

Solitary

Cultural References to the Baby Name – Mathew

Literary Characters

OF THE BABY NAME MATHEW

We cannot find any significant literary characters by the name of Mathew

Childrens Books

ON THE BABY NAME MATHEW

We cannot find any childrens books with the first name Mathew


Popular Songs

ON MATHEW

We cannot find any popular or well-known songs with the name of Mathew


Famous People

NAMED MATHEW

Mathew (racehorse)
Mathew Knowles (father of Beyoncé)
Mathew Brady (photographer)
Mathew Stokes (soccer player)

Children of Famous People

NAMED MATHEW

We cannot find any children of famous people with the first name Mathew

Historic Figures

WITH THE NAME MATHEW

We cannot find any historically significant people with the first name Mathew