Mathias
Mathias was the 312th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 1,087 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 251 places. More babies were named Mathias in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Meaning gift of God · Hebrew, Greek
Say it muh-THY-us /məˈθaɪəs/
- Rank in 2025
- #312 boys, up 117 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 1,087boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 20251,087 babies
- Total since 1880
- 15,544babies recorded
What does the name Mathias mean?
Mathias is a spelling of Matthias, the apostle chosen to replace Judas (Acts 1). Matthias and Matthew are the same Hebrew name, Mattityahu, "gift of Yahweh"; DMNES notes that by the end of the Middle Ages they were treated as separate names. Harrison (1918) gives the same meaning, from mattath, "gift", plus a short form of God's name. Mathias is common in German, Scandinavian and French use.
מַתִּתְיָהוּ (Biblical Hebrew, “gift of Yahweh”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Matthias, Matthew, Matías, Mateo.
See also: Hebrew names, names that mean God, names that mean gift.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Matthias', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources (ed. S. L. Uckelman), Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Matthew', DMNES, Durham University
- Henry Harrison, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary, vol. 2 (1918), s.v. 'MATTHEW', Morland Press (public domain; Internet Archive scan)
- CMU Pronouncing Dictionary (cmudict), Carnegie Mellon University
Nicknames for Mathias
The usual nicknames for Mathias are Matt. Some parents skip the long form: for every 100 boys named Mathias in the last five years, 4 were named Matt, against 28 twenty years earlier.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Boys, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Matt · also for Matthew | Modern | #3,818 | 192 |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are boys given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Mathiass go by each one.
Mathias popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #312 | 1,087 |
| 2020 | #429 | 694 |
| 2010 | #728 | 315 |
| 2000 | #1,386 | 91 |
| 1990 | #1,553 | 54 |
| 1980 | #1,486 | 42 |
| 1970 | #2,370 | 16 |
| 1960 | #1,801 | 21 |
| 1950 | #1,925 | 16 |
| 1940 | #1,724 | 17 |
| 1930 | #1,635 | 21 |
| 1920 | #1,171 | 38 |
| 1910 | #1,525 | 6 |
| 1900 | #946 | 9 |
| 1890 | #410 | 20 |
| 1880 | #549 | 12 |
How popular is Mathias, counting every spelling?
Mathias is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #204 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #312 for Mathias on its own. Together these spellings went to 1,941 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mathias | 1,087 | #312 | 4,502 |
| Matthias | 854 | #372 | 3,481 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Mathias?
1,087 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Mathias (0.30 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Mathias born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 8 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Mathias.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Mathias?
About 14,100 people born in the US named Mathias are alive today, with a median age of 9; half are between 4 and 18. That makes Mathias a young name: most people with it are children.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Mathias by state
How common Mathias was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in New Mexico (3.0×), Florida (1.7×), Nevada (1.6×), Maryland (1.6×), Connecticut (1.6×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in West Virginia, Alabama, Iowa.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Mathias: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Mathias, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Mathias · Sibling names for Mathias
Questions about the name Mathias
What does Mathias mean?
Mathias means “gift of God” (Hebrew, Greek origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Mathias?
Mathias was the 312th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 1,087 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 251 places. More babies were named Mathias in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Is Mathias a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Mathias in the US.
Where is Mathias most popular?
In 2021–2025, Mathias was most common in New Mexico (1.55 per 1,000 boys), followed by Florida and Nevada.