UK boy's name
Mathys
A masculine name of Greek origin meaning "gift of God".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2018. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Mathys is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Mathys popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2018 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4749, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2015, with 7 births.
This profile covers 25 England and Wales registrations across 6 recorded years from 2002 to 2018. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, 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 43% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 25 living people in the UK are called Mathys. 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 2019 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Mathys ranked #4749 for boys in England and Wales in 2018, with 3 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2015, when 7 boys were registered as Mathys.
- • About 25 living people in the UK are estimated to have Mathys as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#4749
2018
Births in 2018
3
Latest year
Peak year
2015
7 births
Estimated living
25
2026
Meaning
What does Mathys mean?
The given name Mathys originated from the Dutch language, derived from the biblical name Matthias or Matthew, which in turn comes from the Hebrew name Mattityahu. It is a variant spelling of the name Matthijs, which was historically more common in the Netherlands and Flanders region of Europe during medieval times.
In the New Testament of the Bible, Matthias was the apostle chosen by the remaining eleven apostles to replace Judas Iscariot after Judas' betrayal and death. This biblical reference likely contributed to the name's early popularity among Christian communities in the Low Countries.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Mathys can be found in the 14th century, when Mathys van Borselen, a Dutch nobleman and military leader, played a significant role in the Hook and Cod Wars between 1350 and 1490. He was a prominent figure in the political and military conflicts that shaped the history of the Netherlands during that period.
Another notable bearer of the name was Mathys Peeters, a 16th-century Flemish painter known for his religious works and portraits. He was a member of the Antwerp Guild of St. Luke and worked primarily in the city of Antwerp during the Renaissance era.
In the 17th century, Mathys Balen, a Dutch Golden Age painter and art historian, is remembered for his significant contributions to the documentation of Dutch and Flemish artists' biographies. His work, "Beschryvinge der stad Dordrecht," published in 1677, remains a valuable resource for understanding the art and culture of the Dutch Golden Age.
Moving forward to the 18th century, Mathys Naiveu, a Dutch-born colonial administrator and governor of the Dutch East Indies (present-day Indonesia), left a lasting impact on the Dutch colonial presence in Southeast Asia during his tenure from 1779 to 1781.
In more recent times, Mathys Goosen, a South African rugby union player who played as a flanker, represented the Springboks national team between 2002 and 2008, earning 13 caps and contributing to the team's success during that period.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Mathys over time
The chart below shows babies named Mathys registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2002 to 2018. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Mathys, the clearest high point is 2015. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2018, compared with 7 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Mathys by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Mathys 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | #3728 | 10 | 2 |
| 2000s | #3494 | 15 | 4 |
Related
Names similar to Mathys
- 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
Mathys: questions and answers
How popular is the name Mathys in the UK right now?
In 2018, Mathys was ranked #4749 for boys in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.
When was Mathys most popular?
The peak year on record was 2015, with 7 babies registered as Mathys in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Mathys?
A masculine name of Greek origin meaning "gift of God".
How many people are called Mathys in the UK?
A total of 25 babies have been registered as Mathys across the 6 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.
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.