Matt

About Matt

Matt is the familiar English short form of Matthew, whose Hebrew root means “gift of God.” Its single syllable has also been used as a complete given name for generations. Public bearers such as actor and screenwriter Matt Damon and cartoonist Matt Groening give it particularly recognizable connections with film and television.

Meaning and older history

Matthew comes through Greek Matthaios from the Hebrew name Mattithiah. That older name combines an element meaning “gift” with a reference to Yahweh, the Hebrew God. Matt retains the meaning through its relationship with Matthew.

Matthew is also the name of a New Testament apostle, traditionally associated with the first Gospel. The English name has been used since the Middle Ages, providing the longer history behind the short form.

Matt keeps the first consonant and vowel of Matthew while dropping the second syllable. Mat is another spelling, and Matty and Mattie are familiar forms in the same family. They differ in length and appearance without requiring a separate ancient origin.

Matt Damon and screenwriting

Matt Damon became widely known through Good Will Hunting, in which he also starred. He and Ben Affleck wrote the screenplay, winning the Academy Award for Original Screenplay at the 1998 ceremony.

The same film brought Robin Williams the supporting-actor Oscar for his role as a psychiatrist. Damon appears in the title role of Will, a young man whose mathematical ability comes to attention at MIT.

The connection gives Matt an association with authorship as well as performance. Damon is a public example of a short, familiar form used throughout a professional career, rather than a name reserved only for informal conversation.

Matt Groening and animation

Matt Groening created The Simpsons after becoming known for his comic strip Life in Hell. The television family grew out of a new set of characters rather than simply transferring the comic strip's existing cast to the screen.

Several members of the Simpson family carry names from Groening's own family, including Homer, Marge, Lisa, and Maggie. Bart rearranges the letters of brat. These choices give a creator called Matt an unusual connection with the naming of a fictional household.

Groening also created Futurama, extending his work into animated science fiction. The combination of newspaper comics and television series gives his name a long-standing association with visual comedy.

His career and Damon's show Matt in different creative roles: one making fictional worlds through drawing and animation, the other writing and appearing in live-action films.

Pronunciation and related forms

Matt is pronounced MAT, rhyming with cat. Its doubled t does not create a second sound or syllable. The spelling closely preserves the beginning of Matthew.

Matty adds an ee ending, producing two syllables. Matthew restores the longer biblical form, while Mat offers the shortest written variant. Matt itself already has a complete and compact spoken shape.

American popularity

As a standalone American first name, Matt reached its strongest rank for boys in 1884, at #230. Its largest annual count came in 1959, with 975 births.

The count fell to 48 boys in 2000. In 2025, 29 boys received Matt as their recorded first name, placing it at #3,817. These figures describe the full registered name and do not include every Matthew known in daily life as Matt.

How popular is Matt?

In 2025, Matt ranked #3,817 among boys in the United States, with 29 recorded uses. The U.S. birth records first list this spelling for boys in 1880; its largest annual count was 975 in 1959. Rankings count each spelling separately. They describe national use, so local familiarity can differ. The popularity chart shows whether the name has remained common, returned after a quieter period, or risen recently.