The Baby Name Wizard

Reader Contributions

Contribute to, or edit, this collection of community wisdom on the name Matthew!

Comments and insights on the name Matthew: | Edit

I love this name for a boy! Matthew sounds like an all- American name, maybe a star football player...

Personal experiences with the name Matthew: | Edit

My husband's name is Matthew. I am trying to convince him to at least make our son's (if we have one when we try) middle name Matthew. He's not having it.

But I will say that I believe most of a person's personality comes from their name. Give or take if the child is raised to be who they are, and not what the parent wants them to be.
With that, my husband (and others that i know who have same names) and other Matt's are very smart, old fashioned, creative....flat out genius.

My baby brother is named Matthew, and it is the least creative name in my family. My brother, however, is not just another Matt. In fact, I seem to know a lot of Matts who are not just another Matt. I think it is a name that transitions well from childhood into adulthood, and is hard not to like. When you have a Matthew, you are guaranteed that your child will bring character to his name, not the other way around. One quality I do like about it is that it goes well with sibling names, regardless of how unusual (or usual) they are.

Nicknames for Matthew: | Edit

Matt, Matty, Mattmew, Matts, Thew, Matt-tew (to)

Meanings and history of the name Matthew: | Edit

Matthew was one of the twelve apostles in the Bible, originally a tax collector who gave up his profession to follow the teachings of Jesus.

Famous real-life people named Matthew: | Edit

Matthew Broderick, actor
Matthew Modine, actor
Matt Lauer, TODAY Show host
Matt Damon, actor
Matthew Fox, actor (television series Lost)
Matthew McConaughey, actor
Matthew Arnold, British Victorian poet and essayist
Matt Ryan, NFL quarterback
Matthew Gray Gubler, actor
Matthew Stafford, American football quarterback for the Detroit Lions.

Matthew in song, story & screen: | Edit

One of the four gospels and one of the twelve disciples in the Bible
Matt Dillon, "Gunsmoke" character
Matt Camden, a character in the TV series "7th Heaven"
"Matthew & Son" a song by Cat Stevens