Matthijs

Matthijs is the Dutch form of Matthew, ultimately derived from the Hebrew name Mattityahu, meaning gift of God, composed of the elements mattan, meaning gift, and yah, a shortened form of the divine name Yahweh. The name entered Western Europe through the Greek Matthaios and Latin Matthaeus, largely due to the influence of Saint Matthew, the apostle and evangelist credited with authorship of the first Gospel. Matthijs is the characteristically Dutch rendering, with close cognates including Mattijs, Matthias, Mathijs, and Mattheus found across the Germanic and broader European naming traditions.