Boys' name · since 1880
Matthew
Since 1880, U.S. Social Security records show 1,654,075 babies named Matthew, peaking in 1983. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #13 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #32 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 1,654,075
- born since 1880
- 1980s
- peak decade
Yes -- Matthew is the #32 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 1,654,075 recorded since 1880.
Matthew has 1,654,075 recorded births among boys since 1880, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #32 as of the latest data, more common than 99.8% of boys, busiest in the 1980s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #13 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #32 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 1,654,075 born since 1880
- 1980s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Matthew ranks #13 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #32 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 1,654,075 born since 1880, peaking in the 1980s.
- #13 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #32 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 1,654,075
- born since 1880
- 1980s
- peak decade
Matthew's 1,654,075 recorded births place it above 99.97% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
51 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by California.
How Matthew compares
1,654,075 Top 1% higher than 99% of 13,930 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
Matthew's all-time total is 4,483x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Matthew | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 1,654,075 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 50,209 | 34 | 22,252 |
Matthew's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Matthew's SSA record in two at 1953 and the more recent half accounts for 98% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 2%, consistent with a name still gaining ground rather than fading. Its calmest year was 1881, with only 80 births recorded -- set against the 1983 peak of 50,209, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Matthew popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1983)
- 50,209
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Matthew popularity over time - girls
5,580 total births recorded since 1911 (Matthew as girls' name)
Matthew by decade
1980s is the heaviest window (458,951 births, 28% of the file).
1980s was Matthew's strongest decade.
458,951 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 28% of all-time use.
Matthew births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 1,068
1880s
1,068 births
- 1890s 1,132
1890s
1,132 births
- 1900s 1,188
1900s
1,188 births
- 1910s 6,228
1910s
6,228 births
- 1920s 8,566
1920s
8,566 births
- 1930s 6,255
1930s
6,255 births
- 1940s 8,760
1940s
8,760 births
- 1950s 35,796
1950s
35,796 births
- 1960s 105,938
1960s
105,938 births
- 1970s
1970s
277,727 births
- 1980s
1980s
458,951 births
- 1990s
1990s
351,682 births
- 2000s
2000s
221,631 births
- 2010s 125,101
2010s
125,101 births
- 2020s 44,052
2020s
44,052 births
What this shows Peak: 1980s at 458,951 births (28% of all-time use).
How Matthew 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 Matthew's total volume
Matthew by state
Where Matthew concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 181,793 | 11.0% |
| #2 | New York | | 135,084 | 8.2% |
| #3 | Texas | | 102,270 | 6.2% |
| #4 | Pennsylvania | | 94,257 | 5.7% |
| #5 | Ohio | | 83,229 | 5.0% |
| #6 | Illinois | | 81,953 | 5.0% |
| #7 | Michigan | | 69,138 | 4.2% |
| #8 | Florida | | 66,270 | 4.0% |
181,793 of 1,654,075 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Matthew appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Matthew? ▼
Where does Matthew sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Matthew most popular? ▼
Where is Matthew most popular? ▼
How long has the name Matthew been used? ▼
What names are similar to Matthew? ▼
What to do with Matthew's data
- Matthew's decade-level peak was the 1980s (458,951 total births); usage has since declined to 44,052 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Matthews (181,793 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Matthew
Nearby Names Like Matthew
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Matthew
Compare Matthew side by side: Matthew vs Mateo Matthew vs Mathew Matthew vs Matteo
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Matthew
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Matthew: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1983)
Similar record span (~145 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 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).
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 Matthew 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 August 2026.