Holding steady.
Popularity of Mat since 1880
Babies named Mat per year in U.S. Social Security records. Raw births topped out in 1917, but relative to how few babies were recorded back then, Mat's real moment was 1881.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Boys |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 115 |
| 1890s | 64 |
| 1900s | 37 |
| 1910s | 120 |
| 1920s | 129 |
| 1930s | 60 |
| 1940s | 31 |
| 1950s | 55 |
| 1960s | 109 |
| 1970s | 58 |
| 1980s | 5 |
| 1990s | 0 |
| 2000s | 0 |
| 2010s | 11 |
| 2020s | 0 |
Meaning & origin
Mat first appeared in U.S. Social Security records in 1880, with its peak year of usage in 1881. Since then, it has remained a rare name, never entering the top 1000. Its trajectory is stable, with no significant revival. As a diminutive of Matthew, Mat carries the meaning 'gift of God' from Hebrew origin. Despite its long history, it has not been recorded in any top state listings, reflecting its overall rarity. The name represents a concise, informal alternative to Matthew, but has not gained widespread independent use.
Mat is a short form of Matthew, which comes from the Hebrew name Mattityahu, meaning 'gift of Yahweh.' In the New Testament, Matthew was one of the twelve apostles and the author of the first Gospel. The diminutive Mat has been used in English-speaking countries primarily as a nickname, though it occasionally appears as an independent given name.
Nicknames & variants
Variants: Matt
Sibling names for Mat
Names that share Mat's style, for a brother or sister.
