Matthan
A masculine name of Hebrew origin meaning "gift" or "gift of God".
Name Census estimates that about 300 living Americans carry the first name Matthan. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Matthan today is around 20 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Matthan births was 2011 (14 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Matthan. 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
300
~ 1 in 1,142,514 Americans
Peak year
2011
14 babies that year
Average age
20
years old
2024 SSA rank
#10,507
Tracked since 1980
Popularity
Matthan: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Matthan from the 1980s through to the 2020s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 95 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Matthan remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Matthan 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 Matthan 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 Matthan
The name Matthan is of Hebrew origin, tracing its roots back to ancient times in the Middle East. It is a variation of the Hebrew name Mattathiah, which means "gift of God" or "given by God." The earliest known use of this name can be found in the Bible, where it is mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus Christ as recorded in the Gospel of Matthew.
One of the earliest recorded individuals bearing the name Matthan was a figure mentioned in the New Testament's Book of Matthew. He was the grandfather of Joseph, the earthly father of Jesus. This biblical reference firmly establishes the name's presence in the early days of Christianity.
Throughout history, the name Matthan has been used by individuals from various backgrounds and cultures, though its usage has been relatively limited compared to other biblical names. One notable bearer of the name was Matthan the Scribe, a Jewish scholar who lived in the 9th century CE in present-day Iraq. He was renowned for his contributions to the field of Hebrew linguistics and his work on the Masorah, a critical study of the Hebrew Bible.
In the 12th century, there was a Jewish philosopher and theologian named Matthan ben Joseph, who lived in Spain during the Golden Age of Jewish culture in the Iberian Peninsula. He was known for his writings on various aspects of Jewish law and philosophy.
Moving forward in time, another noteworthy figure named Matthan was Matthan ben Solomon, a 16th-century Jewish scholar and kabbalist from Salonica, Greece. He was highly respected for his expertise in the mystical teachings of the Kabbalah and his efforts to reconcile these teachings with traditional Jewish philosophy.
More recently, in the 19th century, there was a French Catholic priest named Matthan Somerville, who served as a missionary in China. He is remembered for his contributions to the study of Chinese language and culture, as well as his efforts to promote Christianity in the region.
These are just a few examples of individuals throughout history who bore the name Matthan. While not a widely popular name, it has been carried by notable figures across various cultures and time periods, each adding to the rich tapestry of its history and significance.
People
Matthan + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Matthan 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
Matthan: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Matthan?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 300 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Matthan 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 1,142,514 US residents.
Is Matthan a common name?
We classify Matthan as "Very Rare". It ranks above 79.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 305 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Matthan most popular?
The single biggest year for Matthan was 2011, when 14 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Matthan is about 20 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Matthan a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Matthan in the SSA data are male. 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.
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.