| David | Matthew | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Beloved | gift of Yahweh |
| Origin | hebrew | hebrew |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | DAY-vid | MATH-yoo |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1880 | 1880 |
| Peak year | 1955 (86,306) | 1983 (50,209) |
| In 2025 | 6,794 | 7,003 |
| Trend | Declining | Declining |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | David | Matthew |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 45,615 | 44,052 |
| 2010s | 116,740 | 125,101 |
| 2000s | 180,098 | 221,631 |
| 1990s | 253,711 | 351,682 |
| 1980s | 383,687 | 458,951 |
| 1970s | 445,704 | 277,727 |
| 1960s | 733,953 | 105,938 |
| 1950s | 769,963 | 35,796 |
| 1940s | 426,372 | 8,760 |
| 1930s | 164,701 | 6,255 |
| 1920s | 88,736 | 8,566 |
| 1910s | 43,853 | 6,228 |
| 1900s | 8,619 | 1,188 |
| 1890s | 7,333 | 1,132 |
| 1880s | 7,569 | 1,068 |
From the Hebrew name דָּוִד (Dawid), generally derived from the root dwd meaning 'beloved' (also linked to a word for 'uncle'). Borne by the great Old Testament king, it is one of the most securely attested 'beloved' names.
English form of the Hebrew name Mattityahu (Mattathias), from mattath 'gift' + yah, a short form of the divine name Yahweh. The structure is 'gift of God': 'gift' + the name of God.
Matthew is more popular than David today: about 7,003 US babies were given the name Matthew in 2025, compared with 6,794 named David.
David means Beloved (hebrew origin), while Matthew means gift of Yahweh (hebrew origin).
In US records, David first appears in 1880 and Matthew in 1880, so David has the longer recorded history.