Matthew
/M-AE-TH-Y-UW/
Gift of God, the tax collector who left everything to follow Christ — Matthew was a publican sitting at his booth when Jesus called him with two words: follow me. He abandoned his ledgers and his livelihood and became the evangelist whose gospel opens the New Testament. His name carries the possibility of sudden, total transformation and the grace that finds unlikely saints in the most despised professions
See Matthew scored for your familyQuick — what every parent wants to know about Matthew:
Yes — Matthew is a Christian boy name of Hebrew origin, meaning “Gift of God, the tax collector who left everything to follow Christ — Matthew was a publican sitting at his booth when Jesus called him with two words: follow me. He abandoned his ledgers and his livelihood and became the evangelist whose gospel opens the New Testament. His name carries the possibility of sudden, total transformation and the grace that finds unlikely saints in the most despised professions”. It also appears in Jewish tradition.
How well does Matthew fit your family?
This page tells you what Matthew means. The app tells you whether it's right for your baby — scored against the names already in your family, your heritage, and your baby's exact birth star.
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Six signals — scored for your family, not in the abstract:
Meaning & origin
Matthew is a boy's name of Hebrew origin, traditionally used in Christian families. The name means "Gift of God, the tax collector who left everything to follow Christ — Matthew was a publican sitting at his booth when Jesus called him with two words: follow me. He abandoned his ledgers and his livelihood and became the evangelist whose gospel opens the New Testament. His name carries the possibility of sudden, total transformation and the grace that finds unlikely saints in the most despised professions" and belongs to the Divine cluster — names rooted in sacred meaning and spiritual tradition.
Beyond its Christian heritage, Matthew is also used in Jewish traditions, reflecting how this name has traveled across cultures.
Common among American, European, MiddleEastern, Israeli, Singaporean families, Matthew carries cultural weight that goes beyond its dictionary definition — it's a name with a story and a community.
What would a baby named Matthew look like?
NameRoot imagines a one-of-a-kind AI baby portrait for every name, shaped by its heritage — the features, the colouring, the feeling a name like Matthew carries. No two are alike.
See Matthew's portrait — and its full score — the moment you open the app.
See Matthew's baby portrait →What does Matthew's numerology say?
Numerology assigns each name a single-digit destiny number by summing its letter values. Different schools use different mappings — NameRoot computes both so you can see how Matthew resonates in either tradition.
Matthew's destiny number is 9 — but a number only matters in context. The app matches it to your family's own numbers for a real compatibility read. See Matthew's full reading →
Does Matthew go with your family's names?
Matthew breaks into 5 sounds: /M-AE-TH-Y-UW/. The real test isn't how it sounds alone — it's how it sounds beside the names already in your family: yours, your partner's, and any brothers or sisters. NameRoot scores that harmony, so Matthew sits naturally next to a Mum and Dad like Michael & Anna, or a big sister named Gianna — no awkward clashes, no two names that blur together. Hear Matthew beside your family's names →
Nicknames
Common affectionate forms of Matthew — useful for everyday family conversation, early childhood, or as standalone given names themselves.
Names similar to Matthew
If Matthew resonates with you, these names live in the same world — drawn from the same tradition, sharing the same meaning, or echoing a similar sound.
From the same tradition
Other Christian boy names, common in American families
Sharing the same meaning
Other Christian boy names from the Divine cluster
Names that sound similar
Christian boy names that open with the same syllables as Matthew
Explore more names
Keep exploring names like Matthew — by tradition, by meaning, or by first letter.
Common questions about Matthew
What does the name Matthew mean?
Matthew means "Gift of God, the tax collector who left everything to follow Christ — Matthew was a publican sitting at his booth when Jesus called him with two words: follow me. He abandoned his ledgers and his livelihood and became the evangelist whose gospel opens the New Testament. His name carries the possibility of sudden, total transformation and the grace that finds unlikely saints in the most despised professions." It is a boy name of Hebrew origin, traditionally used in Christian families.
Is Matthew a boy or girl name?
Matthew is most commonly used as a boy name.
What is the origin of the name Matthew?
Matthew is of Hebrew origin, used in Christian, Jewish traditions, commonly among American, European, MiddleEastern families.
Is Matthew a Christian name?
Yes. Matthew is a boy name traditionally used in Christian families, of Hebrew origin. It also appears in Jewish tradition.
What does Matthew mean in Hebrew?
Matthew originates from Hebrew, where it means "Gift of God, the tax collector who left everything to follow Christ — Matthew was a publican sitting at his booth when Jesus called him with two words: follow me. He abandoned his ledgers and his livelihood and became the evangelist whose gospel opens the New Testament. His name carries the possibility of sudden, total transformation and the grace that finds unlikely saints in the most despised professions."
What are common nicknames for Matthew?
Common short forms of Matthew include Matt, Matty.
What is the numerology of Matthew?
Matthew has a Pythagorean destiny number of 9 — compassion and humanitarian service.
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