Matelyn
A feminine name of English origin meaning "from the estate manor".
Name Census estimates that about 100 living Americans carry the first name Matelyn. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Matelyn today is around 20 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Matelyn births was 2001 (12 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Matelyn. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
100
~ 1 in 3,427,543 Americans
Peak year
2001
12 babies that year
Average age
20
years old
2018 SSA rank
#17,287
Tracked since 1998
Popularity
Matelyn: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Matelyn from the 1990s through to the 2010s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 54 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2000s peak, Matelyn remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Matelyn by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Matelyn during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Matelyn
Matelyn is a relatively modern name with its roots in the Latin language. The name is believed to have originated as a feminine variation of the male name Matelin, which is derived from the Latin word "matellinus," meaning "appertaining to a small bowl or cup." This connection suggests that the name may have been originally associated with occupations or trades involving pottery or ceramics.
In its early years, the name Matelyn was primarily used in regions with strong Latin influences, such as parts of Europe and the Mediterranean. However, there are no significant historical references or records of the name appearing in ancient texts or religious scriptures from these regions.
The earliest recorded example of the name Matelyn dates back to the late 19th century, when it began to gain popularity as a given name for females. One of the first notable individuals to bear the name was Matelyn Rees (1890-1972), a Welsh novelist and short story writer known for her works exploring the lives of working-class women in Wales.
Another notable figure with the name Matelyn was Matelyn Jones (1912-1988), an American actress and singer who appeared in several Broadway productions and Hollywood films during the 1930s and 1940s. She was particularly renowned for her portrayal of Nellie Forbush in the original Broadway production of "South Pacific" in 1949.
In the field of education, Matelyn Whitehead (1928-2001) was a prominent figure. She was an American educator and author who specialized in early childhood education and played a significant role in developing curricula and teaching methods for young children.
Moving into the realm of sports, Matelyn Briggs (1962-present) is a former American tennis player who achieved notable success in the late 1980s. She won two Grand Slam doubles titles and reached a career-high ranking of No. 9 in the world in women's doubles.
Lastly, Matelyn Fernandez (1978-present) is a contemporary figure from the world of business and entrepreneurship. She is a Cuban-American entrepreneur and co-founder of a successful fashion and lifestyle brand, known for her innovative designs and sustainable business practices.
These examples illustrate the diverse backgrounds and achievements of individuals who have borne the name Matelyn throughout history, spanning various fields and time periods.
People
Matelyn + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Matelyn as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with M
Other first names starting with M with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Matelyn: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Matelyn?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 100 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Matelyn going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 3,427,543 US residents.
Is Matelyn a common name?
We classify Matelyn as "Very Rare". It ranks above 64.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 101 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Matelyn most popular?
The single biggest year for Matelyn was 2001, when 12 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Matelyn is about 20 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Matelyn in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Matelyn a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Matelyn in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Matelyn still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Matelyn in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Matelyn can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people are named Matelyn?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.