Matvey
A masculine name of Russian origin meaning "gift of God".
Name Census estimates that about 302 living Americans carry the first name Matvey. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Matvey today is around 11 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Matvey births was 2013 (26 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Matvey. 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
302
~ 1 in 1,134,948 Americans
Peak year
2013
26 babies that year
Average age
11
years old
2024 SSA rank
#5,565
Tracked since 2003
Popularity
Matvey: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Matvey from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 183 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Matvey remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Matvey 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 Matvey during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Matveys live
The SSA's state-level files cover 3 states and territories. California, Florida, Illinois recorded the most babies named Matvey, while Illinois, Florida, California recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 17 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Matvey
The name Matvey is a Russian variant of the Hebrew name Matthew, which is derived from the Hebrew name Mattityahu, meaning "gift of God." The name has its roots in the biblical figure Matthew the Apostle, one of the twelve apostles of Jesus Christ and the author of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament.
The name Matvey gained popularity in Russia and other Slavic countries, where it was adopted and adapted from the Greek form Matthaios, which was later Latinized as Matthaeus. The name's earliest recorded use in Russia dates back to the 11th century, when it was commonly used among the nobility and upper classes.
One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name Matvey in Russia was Matvey Mikhailovich Bashkin, a Russian military commander and statesman who lived from 1589 to 1654. He served as a voyevoda (military governor) in various regions and played a significant role in the consolidation of Russian control over Siberia.
Another notable figure was Matvey Kazakov, a Russian architect who lived from 1738 to 1812. He is best known for his work on the Moscow Kremlin and the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow, among other iconic buildings. His architectural style blended elements of Baroque and Neoclassicism.
In the realm of literature, Matvey Komarov (1844-1913) was a prominent Russian writer and journalist. He wrote several novels and short stories that explored social issues and the lives of ordinary people in 19th-century Russia.
The name Matvey also has religious significance, as it is associated with Saint Matthew, one of the four Evangelists in the New Testament. Several Russian Orthodox monasteries and churches have been dedicated to Saint Matthew, further contributing to the popularity of the name.
Another notable bearer of the name was Matvey Muravyov-Apostol (1793-1886), a Russian statesman and military leader who played a crucial role in the suppression of the Polish uprising of 1830-1831. He later served as the Governor-General of the Northwest Region of the Russian Empire.
While the name Matvey has its origins in Hebrew and biblical traditions, it has become deeply ingrained in Russian culture and has been borne by many notable figures throughout history, spanning various fields such as military, architecture, literature, and statesmanship.
People
Matvey + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Matvey 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
Matvey: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Matvey?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 302 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Matvey 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 1,134,948 US residents.
Is Matvey a common name?
We classify Matvey as "Very Rare". It ranks above 79.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 304 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Matvey most popular?
The single biggest year for Matvey was 2013, when 26 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Matvey is about 11 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Matvey a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Matvey 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.