Total births
77,538
Boys' name · since 1880
Mathew
Mathew has 77,538 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1990 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #936
- among boys today
- 77,538
- born since 1880
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 93%
- more common than other boys
Mathew currently ranks #936 among boys' names in America, with 77,538 babies recorded since 1880.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Mathew has been recorded 77,538 times among boys since 1880, currently ranked #936 nationally and more common than 93% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 1980s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #936 among boys today
- 77,538 born since 1880
- 1980s peak decade
- 93% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Mathew is currently the #936 boys' name in America, more common than 93% of boys - 77,538 born since 1880, peaking in the 1980s.
- #936
- among boys today
- 77,538
- born since 1880
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 93%
- more common than other boys
Mathew vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#936
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 93% of names given to boys today.
1980s
Peak decade
24% of everyone ever named Mathew was born in this single decade.
1990
Single peak year
2,174 babies were named Mathew in 1990 - its busiest year on record.
How Mathew compares
77,538 Top 3% higher than 97% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Mathew's all-time total is 211x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Mathew | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 77,538 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 2,174 | 23 | 22,252 |
Mathew's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Mathew's SSA record in two at 1953 and the more recent half accounts for 91% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 9%, consistent with a name still gaining ground rather than fading. Its calmest year was 1906, with only 21 births recorded -- set against the 1990 peak of 2,174, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Mathew at a glance
Top 1,000 boys' namePeak year
1990
Current rank
#936
Active since
1880
Mathew popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1990)
- 2,174
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Mathew popularity over time - girls
207 total births recorded since 1973 (Mathew as girls' name)
Mathew by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1980s was Mathew's strongest decade.
18,622 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 24% of all-time use.
Mathew births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 474
1880s
474 births
- 1890s 415
1890s
415 births
- 1900s 385
1900s
385 births
- 1910s 1,584
1910s
1,584 births
- 1920s 1,739
1920s
1,739 births
- 1930s 890
1930s
890 births
- 1940s 866
1940s
866 births
- 1950s 2,059
1950s
2,059 births
- 1960s 4,653
1960s
4,653 births
- 1970s
1970s
10,849 births
- 1980s
1980s
18,622 births
- 1990s
1990s
16,799 births
- 2000s
2000s
10,615 births
- 2010s 5,910
2010s
5,910 births
- 2020s 1,678
2020s
1,678 births
What this shows Peak: 1980s at 18,622 births (24% of all-time use).
How Mathew compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Mathew's total volume
Mathew vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Mathew by state
Where Mathew concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 11,094 | 14.3% |
| #2 | New York | | 6,048 | 7.8% |
| #3 | Texas | | 5,221 | 6.7% |
| #4 | Ohio | | 3,395 | 4.4% |
| #5 | Florida | | 3,378 | 4.4% |
| #6 | Illinois | | 2,994 | 3.9% |
| #7 | Michigan | | 2,684 | 3.5% |
| #8 | Pennsylvania | | 2,368 | 3.1% |
California share of Mathew's total US births 14.3%
Even split
11,094 of 77,538 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Mathew appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Mathew? ▼
77,538 babies have been named Mathew since 1880. It currently ranks #936 among boys. The peak year was 1990 with 2,174 births.
When was Mathew most popular? ▼
Mathew was most popular in the 1980s decade with 18,622 total births. The single peak year was 1990.
Where is Mathew most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Mathew are California (11,094 births), New York (6,048 births), Texas (5,221 births).
How long has the name Mathew been used? ▼
Records for Mathew go back to 1880, giving 146 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Mathew? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Matthew, Mateo, Matteo, Matias, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Mathew's data
- Mathew's decade-level peak was the 1980s (18,622 total births); usage has since declined to 1,678 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Mathews (11,094 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Mathew
Nearby Names Like Mathew
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Mathew
Matthew Boy
#33 1,654,075 births
Mateo Boy
#7 126,693 births
Matteo Boy
#138 33,483 births
Matias Boy
#159 25,387 births
Matt Boy
#2789 23,887 births
Compare Mathew side by side: Mathew vs Matthew Mathew vs Mateo Mathew vs Matteo
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Mathew
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Mathew: #936 Boys' Name - 77,538 Births, Peak 1990." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/mathew. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Mathew draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.