Matthew

• Mathew (rare)
• (Gospel of Matthew): Matt., Matth. (biblical abbreviations)

From earlier Matheu, from Old French Mathieu, from Latin Matthaeus, from Ancient Greek Ματθαῖος (Matthaîos), from Hebrew מַתִּתְיָהוּ‎ (mattiṯyāhū, literally “gift of the Lord”)

• enPR: măthʹ-yo͞o, IPA^(key): /ˈmæθjuː/

Matthew

1. A male given name of biblical origin.
   • 1771 Tobias George Smollett, The Expedition of Humphry Clinker, Harper&Brothers 1836, page 231:

     - - - My name is Matthew Bramble, at your service. The truth is, I have a foolish pique at the name of Matthew, because it savours of those canting hypocrites, who in Cromwell's time, christened all their children by names taken from the Scripture."

   • 1979 Charles Kuralt, Dateline America, Harcourt Brace Jovanocich, →ISBN, page 184:

     People with incorruptible names like Matthew are always calling people named Charles, Charlie. I wish my folks had named me Matthew. Matt is the worst that can be made of it.

2. A patronymic surname​.
3. Matthew the Evangelist, one of the twelve Apostles. A publican or tax-collector at Capernaum and credited with the authorship of the Gospel of Matthew.
   • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), imprinted at London: By Robert Barker, […], OCLC 964384981, Matthew 9:9:

     :

     And as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed him.

4. (biblical) The Gospel of St. Matthew, the first book of the New Testament of the Bible. Traditionally the first of the four gospels, a book attributed to Matthew the Evangelist.

• Matthean
• Matthias
• pet forms: Mat, Matt, Matty, Mattie
• surnames: Matheson, Mathieson, Matthews

• Matthew principle