Matityahu as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Matityahu

What is the meaning of the name Matityahu ?

The baby name Matityahu is a Male name , 4 syllables long and is pronounced mah-tee-YAH-hoo (IPA: /ˌmætɪˈjɑːhu/).

Matityahu is Hebrew in Origin.

Matityahu (Hebrew: מתתיהו) is a theophoric Hebrew name combining matan/mattan, “gift,” with Yahu, a divine name element, yielding “gift of Yahweh/God.” Variants include Mattityahu and Matisyahu; related forms are Mattathias (Greek/Latin), Mattithiah (biblical English), and the downstream vernaculars Matthew, Matthias, Matteo, Mateo, Matthieu, Mateus.

The name is best known from Matityahu the Hasmonean, priest and patriarch who sparked the Maccabean revolt (2nd century BCE), cementing its association with courage and piety. Several Levites named Mattithiah appear in Chronicles and Nehemiah. In Jewish communities, especially in Israel, Matityahu/Matisyahu persists alongside diminutives Mati/Matya. The modern musician Matisyahu popularized the Ashkenazi pronunciation internationally. While Matthew became widespread in Christian Europe, the full Hebrew form Matityahu has seen a modest revival in contemporary Hebrew naming, appreciated for its biblical depth, strong sound, and celebratory meaning.

⚙ Matityahu is vanishingly rare. We count just 9 recorded uses of it worldwide, from 2 countries.