Matthew is of Latin origin, meaning "gift of God". It was one of the most popular names throughout the Middle Ages and Renaissance periods. The name Matthew is associated with St. Matthew, one of the twelve apostles in the Bible, who was also a tax collector before he began following Jesus Christ. In the New Testament, Matthew is credited as the author of the first Gospel, which bears his name. The name Matthew has been popular throughout history and continues to be so today. Some notable figures with this name include the philosopher Matthew Arnold and the actor Matthew McConaughey. In literature, Matthew has been used in various works, such as "Matthew, Mark, Luke & John" by Neil Gaiman and "The Chronicles of Narnia" by C.S. Lewis, where Matthew is one of the four Pevensie siblings who enter the magical realm. The name Matthew is often shortened to Matt or Matty.
The name Matthew had a steady increase in popularity from the mid-1970s to the late 1980s, with a notable spike in 1985 when it reached its peak of 12 births that year.