| Matthew | Thomas | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | gift of Yahweh | Twin |
| Origin | hebrew | Aramaic |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | MATH-yoo | TOM-us |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1880 | 1880 |
| Peak year | 1983 (50,209) | 1952 (48,647) |
| In 2025 | 7,003 | 6,917 |
| Trend | Declining | Steady |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Matthew | Thomas |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 44,052 | 39,782 |
| 2010s | 125,101 | 70,027 |
| 2000s | 221,631 | 102,106 |
| 1990s | 351,682 | 146,638 |
| 1980s | 458,951 | 177,817 |
| 1970s | 277,727 | 186,739 |
| 1960s | 105,938 | 327,055 |
| 1950s | 35,796 | 454,385 |
| 1940s | 8,760 | 350,775 |
| 1930s | 6,255 | 183,878 |
| 1920s | 8,566 | 161,107 |
| 1910s | 6,228 | 91,619 |
| 1900s | 1,188 | 21,783 |
| 1890s | 1,132 | 21,115 |
| 1880s | 1,068 | 23,750 |
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.
Thomas comes from an Aramaic word meaning “twin.” The apostle Thomas is remembered as “doubting Thomas” for wanting proof of the Resurrection.
Matthew is more popular than Thomas today: about 7,003 US babies were given the name Matthew in 2025, compared with 6,917 named Thomas.
Matthew means gift of Yahweh (hebrew origin), while Thomas means Twin (Aramaic origin).
In US records, Matthew first appears in 1880 and Thomas in 1880, so Matthew has the longer recorded history.