| Matthew | Jonathan | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | gift of Yahweh | Yahweh has given |
| Origin | hebrew | hebrew |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | MATH-yoo | JON-ə-thən |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| First appeared | 1880 | 1880 |
| Peak year | 1983 (50,209) | 1988 (24,349) |
| In 2025 | 7,003 | 3,822 |
| Trend | Declining | Declining |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Matthew | Jonathan |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 44,052 | 25,386 |
| 2010s | 125,101 | 79,888 |
| 2000s | 221,631 | 144,848 |
| 1990s | 351,682 | 197,503 |
| 1980s | 458,951 | 229,953 |
| 1970s | 277,727 | 107,926 |
| 1960s | 105,938 | 47,389 |
| 1950s | 35,796 | 25,816 |
| 1940s | 8,760 | 8,296 |
| 1930s | 6,255 | 1,663 |
| 1920s | 8,566 | 1,078 |
| 1910s | 6,228 | 660 |
| 1900s | 1,188 | 139 |
| 1890s | 1,132 | 129 |
| 1880s | 1,068 | 192 |
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.
From Hebrew Yehonatan, combining yeho (a form of Yahweh) + natan 'to give' — 'Yahweh has given'. A 'gift of God' name framed as God's act of giving.
Matthew is more popular than Jonathan today: about 7,003 US babies were given the name Matthew in 2025, compared with 3,822 named Jonathan.
Matthew means gift of Yahweh (hebrew origin), while Jonathan means Yahweh has given (hebrew origin).
In US records, Matthew first appears in 1880 and Jonathan in 1880, so Matthew has the longer recorded history.