Mattisen
A Scandinavian name derived from Matthew, meaning "gift of God".
Name Census estimates that about 89 living Americans carry the first name Mattisen. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Mattisen today is around 22 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Mattisen births was 1997 (8 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Mattisen. 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.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Mattisen. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
89
~ 1 in 3,851,172 Americans
Peak year
1997
8 babies that year
Average age
22
years old
2014 SSA rank
#18,288
Tracked since 1995
Popularity
Mattisen: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Mattisen 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 65 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2000s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Mattisen 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 Mattisen 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 Mattisen
The given name Mattisen is of Scandinavian origin, derived from the Old Norse name Mattis, which itself is a variant of the biblical name Matthew. The name Matthew comes from the Hebrew name Mattityahu, meaning "gift of Yahweh" or "gift of God."
The earliest recorded instances of the name Mattisen can be traced back to the Viking Age, when it was commonly used among the Norse peoples of Scandinavia. During this time, the name was often associated with strength, courage, and a connection to the ancient Norse gods.
In the Middle Ages, the name Mattisen gained popularity throughout northern Europe, particularly in areas with strong Norse cultural influences, such as Iceland, Norway, and parts of the British Isles. It was often used by those of Norse descent as a way to honor their heritage and maintain a connection to their ancestral roots.
One of the earliest known historical figures to bear the name Mattisen was Mattisen Sigurdsson, a legendary Viking warrior who lived in the 9th century. He was renowned for his bravery and skill in battle and is said to have fought alongside the famous Norse explorer Leif Erikson.
Another notable figure was Mattisen Thorvaldsson, a Norwegian chieftain who lived in the 11th century. He played a significant role in the region's politics and was known for his diplomatic skills and ability to forge alliances between rival clans.
In the 13th century, a Icelandic scholar and historian named Mattisen Snorrason made significant contributions to the preservation of Norse mythology and literature. His works, such as the Prose Edda and the Heimskringla, are considered invaluable sources of information about the Vikings and their culture.
During the Viking Age and the Middle Ages, the name Mattisen was also associated with various Norse deities, particularly Thor and Odin. It was believed that bearing a name with strong connections to the gods would bring good fortune and protection.
In more recent centuries, the name Mattisen has been less common, but it has continued to hold significance among those with Scandinavian heritage. One notable figure was Mattisen Andersen, a Norwegian explorer who led several expeditions to the Arctic in the late 19th century.
People
Mattisen + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Mattisen 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
Mattisen: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Mattisen?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 89 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Mattisen 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 3,851,172 US residents.
Is Mattisen a common name?
We classify Mattisen as "Very Rare". It ranks above 62.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 91 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Mattisen most popular?
The single biggest year for Mattisen was 1997, when 8 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Mattisen is about 22 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 Mattisen in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Mattisen a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Mattisen 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 Mattisen still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Mattisen 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 Mattisen 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 have Mattisen as a first name?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many Americans are named Mattisen at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.