Matthew

Matthew comes from the Late Latin Mattheus, itself derived from the Greek Matthaios, which is a rendering of the Aramaic name Mattay, a shortened form of the Hebrew Mattityahu meaning gift of Yahweh. The name is best known in the Christian tradition through Saint Matthew the Apostle, the tax collector chosen by Jesus who is traditionally regarded as the author of the first Gospel. Its widespread use throughout medieval and modern Europe owes much to that apostolic association. Closely related forms include Matthias, the Greek variant used for another New Testament figure, along with Matteo in Italian, Mateo in Spanish, Mathieu in French, and Matheus in Portuguese.