Matthew

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Dictionary of Medieval Names
from European Sources

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Matthew m. Hebrew מַתִּתְיָהוּ 'gift of the Lord', Hellenicized as first as Ματταθίας and then shortened to Ματθαῖος.

The name of one of the twelve apostles, one of the four evangelists, and a 15th C king of Hungary and Bohemia. Wycliffite Bible (1395): Matheu.

By the end of the Middle Ages, Matthew and Matthias were considered distinct names, despite their shared origin.

Mahé is a typical western French spelling, while Mahieu is more typical of Normandy and Picardy. The diminutive form Macelin- can also be a hypocoristic of any of various names beginning with Old Frankish madal, from Old High German, Old Saxon mahal 'council, meeting'.

Brabant

Latin: ● 1312 Mathie (gen) JeanIII p. 15

Croatia

Latin: ● 1439x1482 Mathei (gen) Brgles p. 8, Mattheus (nom) ibid. p. 10; 1446 Mathey (gen) ibid. p. 11; ◑ 1439x1482 Mathe (nom) Brgles p. 8

Czech Republic

Latin: ● 1348 Mathie (dat) chlumecky 9; 1349 Mathia (abl) ibid. 51, Mathias (nom) ibid. 25; 1353 Mathei (gen) ibid. 117, Matheo (abl) ibid. 60, Mathias (nom) ibid. 72, Matiey (nom) ibid. 99, Matyey (nom) ibid. 47, p. 23; 1355 Mathie (dat) ibid. 111, Mathya (acc) ibid. 94, Mathye (gen) ibid. 94; 1356 Mathie (dat) ibid. 178, p. 29

England

Latin: ● 1189 Matheus (nom) GASurv p. 90; 1296 Mathey (gen) RCS-1 p. 94b, Mathias (nom) ibid. p. 93a; 1297 Matheus (nom) ComWil-vol1 p. 1; 1381 Mathei (gen) FenPT-2 p. 6, Matheum (acc) Suffolk1381 p. 114
Early Modern English: ● 1530 Mathew LIWill-III p. 84, Mathewe ibid. p. 70; 1541 Mathew BarnstapleBap p. 2; 1542 Matthew ibid. p. 3; 1543 Mathew ibid. p. 3; 1545 Mathew ibid. p. 5; 1546 Matthew DEmar-vol1 p. 79; 1551 Mathew BarnstapleBap p. 7; 1553 Mathew ibid. p. 8; 1554 Mathew ibid. p. 8; 1555 Mathew ibid. p. 9; 1557 Mathew ibid. p. 10; 1560 Mathew ibid. p. 10; 1561 Mathew Redruth-Co p. 6; 1564 Mathew OrpingtonKe p. 2; 1565 Mathew StAnthonlin p. 17; 1567 Mathewe BEmar-vol2 p. 2; 1568 Mathew StAnthonlin p. 19; 1571 Mathew ibid. p. 21; 1574 Mathew DEmar-vol1 p. 83; 1578 Mathew OrpingtonKe p. 5; 1580 Mathewe BEmar-vol1 p. 10; 1581 Mathewe OrpingtonKe p. 6; 1583 Mathew ibid. p. 6; 1588 Mathew ibid. p. 8, Matthew DEmar-vol2 p. 15; 1589 Matthew ibid. p. 19; 1592 Mathew DEmar-vol1 p. 86, Mathias BEmar-vol1 p. 15; 1593 Mathewe OrpingtonKe p. 76, Matthew COmar-vol2 p. 24, DEmar-vol2 p. 26; 1594 Matthew BUmar-vol9 p. 8; 1595 Matthew DEmar-vol2 p. 31; 1596 Matthew ibid. p. 33; 1597 Mathew DEmar-vol1 p. 87, Mathewe BEmar-vol1 p. 17, BEmar-vol2 p. 4; 1598 Mathew DEmar-vol1 p. 87, Matthew DEmar-vol2 p. 39; 1599 Matthew BEmar-vol2 p. 31, COmar-vol2 p. 73

Estonia

Middle Low German: ● 1379 Mathias BbRT p. 336; 1383 Mathias ibid. p. 337; 1396 Mathias ibid. p. 341; 1405 Mathias ibid. p. 344; 1415 Mathias ibid. p. 347; 1434 Mattyies ibid. p. 356; 1524x1532 Matthys (nom) Saareste1923a p. 102, Mattys (nom) Saareste1923b p. 137, Matys (nom) ibid. p. 138; 1525 Mattis (gen) Hiiumaa p. 147; 1543 Mattis (nom) ibid. p. 151; ◑ 1409 Thewes BbRT p. 345; 1524x1532 metzu (gen) Saareste1923b p. 138, metzw (gen) ibid. p. 138; 1592 Matt Tiik1977 p. 286, Matz ibid. p. 285, Maz ibid. p. 285, Thies ibid. p. 287
Early Modern Swedish: ● 1564 Matthias (nom) Hiiumaa p. 44; ◑ 1564 Matz (nom) Hiiumaa p. 178; 1565 Matz (nom) ibid. p. 241; 1576 Matz (nom) ibid. p. 22; 1583 Matz (nom) ibid. p. 172; 1591 Matz (nom) ibid. p. 211; 1595 Matte ibid. p. 172, Matz (nom) ibid. p. 281; 1599 Matz (nom) ibid. p. 88

Finland

Early Modern Swedish: ● 1582 Mattseij (nom) Audén1980 p. 172; ◑ 1548 Matts (nom) Audén1980 p. 169, Matz (nom) ibid. p. 167

France

Latin: ● a1114 Matheus (nom) CartStPC XXXI; 1130 Matheus (nom) ibid. VIII; 1132 Matheus (nom) clairvaux-12thc 5; 1143x1146 Matheus (nom) ibid. 12; 1147 Matheus (nom) ibid. 15; 1158 Matheus (nom) ibid. 33; 1163 Mathei (gen) ibid. 100; 1163–64 Matheus (nom) ibid. 106; 1164 Matheum (acc) ibid. 123, Matheus (nom) ibid. 120; 1169 Matheus (nom) ibid. 136; 1171 Matheus (nom) ibid. 140; 1174 Matheo (abl) ibid. 158; 1179 Mathei (gen) ibid. 178, Matheus (nom) ibid. 178; 1190 Matheus (nom) CartNDdOurscamp CII; 1193 Matheo (dat) ibid. CXLIX; 1217 Matheus (nom) ibid. XXXI; 1238 Mathei (gen) ibid. CXLV; 1241 Mathei (gen) ibid. XXIX, Matheus (nom) ibid. XXIX; 1257 Matheus (nom) ArrestReg-volI VIII, St. Martin; 1258 Matheus (nom) ibid. VII, Candlemas; 1260 Matheum (acc) ibid. III, St. Martin, Matheus (nom) ibid. XV, St. Martin; 1261 Matheo (abl) ibid. IV, BMV, Matheus (nom) ibid. IV, BMV; 1301 Mathei (gen) MemPic-vol17 p. 220, Matheo (abl) ibid. p. 176, Matheum (acc) ibid. p. 212, Matheus (nom) ibid. p. 176, Mathias (nom) ibid. p. 199; 1350 Mathiam (acc) SDHK no. 6039; 1378 Mathei (gen) hanquetvol1 178, Matheo (dat) ibid. 14, Matheum (acc) ibid. 988, Matheus (nom) ibid. 545, Mathias (nom) ibid. 1841, Mathie (gen) ibid. 733; 1564 Matheus (nom) FlorLyon p. 172; ◑ 1047 Macelino (abl) CartNDSaintes I
Old French: ● 1296 Maci paris1296 p. 20, Mahi ibid. p. 3; 1301 Mahieu (obl) MemPic-vol17 p. 234, Mahieus (nom) ibid. p. 276, Mahiex (nom) ibid. p. 271, Maihieu (obl) ibid. p. 276, Mathieu (obl) ibid. p. 233; 1313 Maci Paris1313 p. 5, Macy ibid. p. 8, Mahi ibid. p. 31, Mahy ibid. p. 23; ◑ 1296 Maciot paris1296 p. 12; 1313 Maciot Paris1313 p. 24, Mahiet ibid. p. 57
Middle French: ● 1368 Mathieu beauchet-vol1 p. 14; 1388 Mahieu thierry; 1392 Mace MemBret-II col. 597, Mahieu ibid. col. 599; 1418 Macé HGParis p. 374, Mahieu ibid. p. 376, Mathieu ibid. p. 378; 1421 Macé favier 290, Mahieu ibid. 859, Mathieu ibid. 310, Mathé ibid. p. 164; 1423 Macé ibid. 259; ◑ 1418 Macin HGParis p. 378, Maciot ibid. p. 374, Mahiet ibid. p. 373; 1421 Mahiet favier 142, Mathelin ibid. 449; 1423 Mahiet ibid. 458, Mathelin ibid. 218; 1438 Mahiet ibid. 257

Germany

Latin: ● 1174 Matheus (nom) quix-vol1 32; 1197 Matheus (nom) hennes-vol1 1, Mattheus (nom) ibid. 2; 1198 Matheus (nom) ibid. 3; 1401 Matheo (dat) HD1401 no. 2, Mathye (dat) ibid. no. 21
Early New High German: ● 1401 Matheis (nom) mairhofer DCLXIX; 1497 Mates Nurn1497 269, Mathes ibid. p. 2

Ireland

Latin: ● fin12thC Mathei (gen) MunDocIr III, p. 14, Mathias (nom) ibid. III, p. 8

Italy

Latin: ● 1174x1176 Matheus (nom) clairvaux-12thc 163; 1177 Matheus (nom) ibid. 164; 1265x1339 Mafei (gen) BBC-Berg 138, Mafey (gen) ibid. 247; 1285 Mafei (gen) Perugia1285 p. 157, Mathei (gen) ibid. p. 159; 1324 Mactheus (nom) DSF p. 47, 3726; 1326 Mathei (gen) Friuli-14thC no. 446, Matheus (nom) ibid. no. 446, Mathia (abl) ibid. no. 427; 1348 Macii (gen) INP 18, Macius (nom) ibid. 23, Macthei (gen) ibid. 3, Mactheo (dat) ibid. 26; 1522x1532 Machtius (nom) DSF p. 52, 29, Macteus (nom) ibid. p. 53, 37, Mactius (nom) ibid. p. 58, 35, Maffeo (abl) ibid. p. 51, 23, Matheus (nom) ibid. p. 54, 58; 1527 Mattej (gen) Rome1527 p. 89, Matthei (gen) ibid. p. 85, Mattheo (abl) ibid. p. 83, Mattheus (nom) ibid. p. 86; ◑ 1285 Mathioli (gen) Perugia1285 p. 159; 1326 Mathiussio (abl) Friuli-14thC no. 422, Mathiussium (acc) ibid. no. 426; 1348 Mactheolus (nom) INP 24, Macthocius (nom) ibid. 3; 1522x1532 Mactiellus (nom) DSF p. 56, 2

Latvia

Latin: ◑ 1289 Mathe (nom) RigSB 222
Middle Low German: ● 1463 Mathias Arbusow p. 99; 1508 Mathais Mettig1892 p. 5; 1512 Mathias ibid. p. 5; 1514 Mathies ibid. p. 11; 1524 Matthias Arbusow p. 99; 1561 Mattis Arbuzov1920 p. 46; ◑ 1523 Mattis Mettig1892 p. 4, Mattys Arbusow p. 100; 1524 Mattys ibid. p. 99; 1532 Mattz ibid. p. 97; 1545 Mattis ibid. p. 99; 1565x1577 Matz ibid. p. 98; 1573 Matz Arbuzov1920 p. 47

Lithuania

Latin: ◑ 1551x1555 Maczis (nom) Kaunas2006 p. 85
Polish: ● 1551x1555 Macziey (nom) Kaunas2006 p. 85; 1561x1565 Macʒieia (gen) ibid. p. 83, Macʒiey (nom) ibid. p. 85; 1587x1591 Massisʒ (nom) ibid. p. 85

The Netherlands

Dutch: ● 1560 Matthys MagMiddelburg-1560; 1573 Matthys ibid.; 1574 Matthys ibid.; 1575 Matthys ibid.; 1576 Matthys ibid.; 1577 Matthys ibid.

Portugal

Latin: ● 1179 Matheus (nom) PHGCRP-I no. 4

Scotland

Latin: ● 1376 Mathei (gen) morton-vol1 16, Matheo (dat) ibid. 16; 1392 Matheo (abl) CartLevenax p. 11
Scots: ● 1506 Matho RegDunf 497

Spain

Latin: ● 1488 Matthiae (gen) carbonell p. 16; 1491 Matthei (gen) ibid. p. 52, Mattheus (nom) ibid. p. 52
Catalan: ● 1510 Matheu valencia1510 3192, Mathia ibid. 2658
Spanish: ● 1495 Mateu montalvo

Sweden

Latin: ● 1350 Mathei (gen) SDHK no. 6043, Mathias (nom) ibid. no. 6014, Mathis (gen) ibid. no. 6024; 1383 Mathias (nom) SRA-vol2 no. 1908
Old Swedish: ● 1383 Mathis (gen) SRA-vol2 no. 1943, Mathiussa (gen) ibid. no. 1915, Matiwssa (gen) ibid. no. 1934, Matthis ibid. no. 1944, Mattius ibid. no. 1922

Switzerland

Latin: ● 1179 Matheo (dat) CartHaut 24, Matheus (nom) ibid. 24

Ukraine

Latin: ● 1480 Mathias (nom) AGZ-18 CIX-1316

Cite as: G. Grim, R. Le Get, J. Uckelman, S.L. Uckelman. "Matthew". In S.L. Uckelman, ed. The Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, Edition 2015, no. 3. http://dmnes.org/2015/3/name/Matthew.