Matt

Matt is an English short form of the biblical name Matthias or Matthew.

What does the name Matt mean?

The designation Matt is an English abbreviation of the biblical Matthias or Matthew. The name has its origin in ancient Hebrew and means 'gift of God', 'gift of the Lord', or 'given by JHWH (God)'. It is widely used, especially in North American regions. Although Matt is considered an independent first name, it is often used as a nickname for Matthew. Notable personalities with this name include US actors Matt Damon and Matt Dillon. In German-speaking countries, the first name Matt is rather rare. Here, related short forms like Matthias, Mats, Matti, and Mattis are more popular.

Where does the name Matt come from?

The name Matt has its origin as a variant of the biblical Matthias from the ancient Hebrew name Mattitjāhū (מַתִּתְיָהוּ). This is composed of the Hebrew elements mattath (מַתַּת), meaning 'gift, present', and jhwh (יהוה), the name of God.

How do you pronounce Matt?

The pronunciation of Matt is simple and clear. The name is monosyllabic and has a compact structure. It is pronounced as 'Mät' [mɛt], with the beginning starting with a soft nasal that transitions into the stressed double consonants. The final hard 't' provides a distinct ending. Matt conveys a factual and direct effect, reduced to the essentials while being powerfully present.

When is the name day of Matt?

The name day for Matt falls on February 24, dedicated to the Apostle Matthias.

Popularity

In Germany, Matt is a common first name and currently ranks 3,183rd among the most common male baby names. Its best ranking was in 2009 at 912th place. In the last ten years, Matt has been used around 80 times as a first name, placing it 2,649th in the ten-year statistics. From 2010 to 2024, it ranks 2,621st.

Nicknames & pet names

Mattie / Matty

Famous people

• Matt Beckett (English cyclist)
• Matt Bellamy (lead singer of the band Muse (vocals, guitar, piano & songwriting))
• Matt Bomer (actor (Matthew Staton))
• Matt Calvert (Canadian ice hockey player)
• Matt Cooke (Canadian ice hockey player)
• Matt Czuchry (actor)
• Matt Damon (actor)
• Matt Diedrichsen (footballer from America)
• Matt Dodge (American football player)
• Matt Donovan (character from 'Vampire Diaries')
• Matt Gray (footballer from Great Britain)
• Matt Groening (creator of The Simpsons & Futurama)
• Matt Hamill (martial artist from America)
• Matt Hardy (American professional wrestler (WWE))
• Matt Harpring (American basketball player)
• Matt Herges (baseball player from the USA)
• Matt Jarvis (footballer from America)
• Matt Kennelly (Australian baseball player)
• Matt Koalska (ice hockey player from the USA)
• Matt LeBlanc (actor (Friends, Joey))