UK boy's name
Matej
A masculine name of Greek origin meaning "gift of God".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2023. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Matej is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Matej popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2023 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4107, with 4 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2010, with 16 births.
This profile covers 133 England and Wales registrations across 18 recorded years from 2005 to 2023. The figures come from ONS England and Wales and NISRA Northern Ireland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 25% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 135 living people in the UK are called Matej. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2024 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Matej ranked #4107 for boys in England and Wales in 2023, with 4 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2010, when 16 boys were registered as Matej.
- • Matej ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #357 in 2007.
- • About 135 living people in the UK are estimated to have Matej as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#4107
2023
Births in 2023
4
Latest year
Peak year
2010
16 births
Estimated living
135
2026
Meaning
What does Matej mean?
The name Matej is a variant of the given name Matthew, which has its origins in the Hebrew name Mattithyahu. This name is derived from the Hebrew words "Mattan," meaning "gift," and "Yah," referring to God. The name Mattithyahu translates to "gift of God" or "given by God."
The name Matthew gained widespread popularity due to its association with the apostle and evangelist of the same name, one of the twelve apostles of Jesus Christ. His name is recorded in the New Testament of the Bible, and he is traditionally regarded as the author of the Gospel of Matthew.
The variant spelling Matej is commonly found in Slavic languages, particularly in Czech, Slovak, and Slovenian. It is believed to have been introduced to these regions through the influence of Christianity and the translation of biblical texts into Slavic languages.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Matej can be found in the 9th century, when the Slavic missionaries Cyril and Methodius played a crucial role in spreading Christianity among the Slavic peoples. They are credited with creating the Glagolitic and Cyrillic alphabets, which facilitated the translation of religious texts into Slavic languages.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Matej. One of the most prominent is Matej Delač (1926-2022), a Slovenian poet, essayist, and translator known for his contributions to Slovenian literature. Another is Matej Vydra (1789-1856), a Czech historian, and philologist who made significant contributions to the study of Czech history and language.
Other notable individuals with the name Matej include Matej Ferjan (1904-1988), a Slovenian writer and playwright known for his works depicting rural life in Slovenia, and Matej Bor (1913-1993), a Slovenian poet and partisan fighter during World War II, whose poetry reflected the struggle for freedom and justice.
Additionally, Matej Tóth (1618-1684) was a Slovak writer, educator, and Protestant minister who played a crucial role in the development of Slovak literature and education during the 17th century. His works included translations of religious texts and educational materials into the Slovak language.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Matej over time
The chart below shows babies named Matej registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2005 to 2023. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Matej, the clearest high point is 2010. The latest England and Wales figure is 4 births in 2023, compared with 16 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Matej by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Matej was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #3419 | 17 | 3 |
| 2010s | #2747 | 85 | 10 |
| 2000s | #2689 | 31 | 5 |
Geography
Where Matej is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Matej. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.
Matej ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #357 in 2007.
Across the UK
Matej in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland (NISRA)
#357 in 2007
1 years of NISRA records, 3 total registered
Related
Names similar to Matej
- Matthew 80,931
- Mohammed 74,321
- Muhammad 72,235
- Max 59,807
- Michael 47,075
- Mason 38,935
- Mohammad 25,910
- Morgan 15,994
- Muhammed 11,527
- Mark 11,336
- Marcus 11,257
- Maxwell 10,006
FAQ
Matej: questions and answers
How popular is the name Matej in the UK right now?
In 2023, Matej was ranked #4107 for boys in England and Wales, with 4 births registered.
When was Matej most popular?
The peak year on record was 2010, with 16 babies registered as Matej in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Matej?
A masculine name of Greek origin meaning "gift of God".
How many people are called Matej in the UK?
A total of 133 babies have been registered as Matej across the 18 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here and 3 in Northern Ireland.
Where is Matej most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Matej ranks best in Northern Ireland, where it placed #357 in 2007. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.