Mat
A boy's name of Hebrew origin with 789 recorded U.S. births.
Meaning & Origin
A diminutive of the male given name Matthew.
Mat is a boy's baby name of Hebrew origin, a diminutive of Matthew, from the Hebrew Matityahu, meaning 'gift of God.' Mat is the shortened form that drops the final syllable, leaving just the clean first beat of the name.
Mat has the understated confidence of single-syllable names — direct, simple, and strong. While Matthew has been a perennial top-ten name in English-speaking countries for generations, Mat as a standalone feels genuinely spare and modern, like a name that trusts its single syllable to carry its full weight.
EtymologyShow more
The ending of a name often carries more etymological information than the beginning. Mat's final sounds are sharp, distinct — ending on a consonant gives it a firm, clear close. In English-language naming, masculine names frequently end on harder consonants or closed syllables, creating a sense of decisiveness and strength. Mat follows that masculine pattern.
Explore the ending-based name pages on this site to find names that share Mat's suffix pattern — names with similar endings often share a style and era, even when they come from different linguistic backgrounds.
At a Glance
Popularity Over Time
Mat has 81+ years of history in the U.S., first appearing in 1880.
Popularity by Decade
| Decade | Births | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 6 | ▲ |
| 1980s | 5 | ▼ |
| 1970s | 58 | ▼ |
| 1960s | 109 | ▲ |
| 1950s | 55 | ▲ |
| 1940s | 31 | ▼ |
| 1930s | 60 | ▼ |
| 1920s | 129 | ▲ |
| 1910s | 120 | ▲ |
| 1900s | 37 | ▼ |
| 1890s | 64 | ▼ |
| 1880s | 115 | — |
The Story of Mat
A Greatest Generation name
Peaking in 1917, Mat is a name steeped in history. Boys named Mat are most likely born between 1907 and 1927.
How rare is Mat?
With 789 total births on record, Mat remains a rare and distinctive pick.
The journey through the decades
First appeared in the records in 1880, grew steadily over the decades, peaked in the 1920s with 129 births that decade, and has since become a rare, vintage choice.
Mat by the numbers
- Would fill 16 school buses
- Meeting one Mat per day would take 2.2 years
Year-by-Year Data
View complete yearly data(81 years, 1880–2010)
| Year | Births | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 6 | #11690 |
| 1985 | 5 | #7208 |
| 1979 | 6 | #5806 |
| 1976 | 9 | #3902 |
| 1975 | 7 | #4620 |
| 1974 | 8 | #4059 |
| 1972 | 10 | #3273 |
| 1971 | 8 | #3841 |
| 1970 | 10 | #3200 |
| 1969 | 11 | #2801 |
| 1968 | 15 | #2161 |
| 1967 | 14 | #2219 |
| 1965 | 10 | #2712 |
| 1964 | 12 | #2507 |
| 1963 | 11 | #2624 |
| 1962 | 9 | #2979 |
| 1961 | 15 | #2204 |
| 1960 | 12 | #2495 |
| 1959 | 17 | #2017 |
| 1958 | 9 | #2959 |
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration. Showing years with 5+ recorded births.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Mat a boy's or girl's name?
When was Mat most popular?
How popular is the name Mat?
Explore More
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration, 1880–2010