Matias is a name of Latin origin that means "gift of God". It is believed to have been derived from the Aramaic word "matta", which means "gift". The name Matias has been used throughout history, but it gained significant popularity during the Middle Ages in Spain.
The name Matias was first used by the Jews as a translation of the Hebrew name Mattityahu, which is composed of the elements "mattay" meaning "gift" and "-yah" meaning "of God". The name became more widely known after Saint Matthias, one of Jesus' twelve apostles, who took the place of Judas Iscariot according to Acts 1:26.
In the Middle Ages, Matias was used as a Christian name in Spain and other parts of Europe. It was also used among Jews and Muslims, with various spellings such as Matías, Mateo, and Matti.
Today, Matias is still widely used around the world, particularly in Spain, where it has been one of the most popular names for boys over the past few decades. It is also commonly used in other Spanish-speaking countries, as well as in Sweden, Norway, and Finland.
Overall, Matias is a name with a rich history that dates back to ancient times. Its meaning, "gift of God", makes it a powerful and meaningful choice for parents looking for a special name for their child.
The name Matias has seen a significant increase in popularity over the past century in the United States. In the early 1900s, the number of babies named Matias fluctuated between five and twenty per year. However, starting around the 1970s, there was a noticeable rise in its usage.
From 1975 onwards, at least twenty babies were named Matias annually. The name's popularity surged in the late 1980s and early 1990s, reaching fifty births or more per year consistently between 1989 and 1993. This trend continued into the new millennium, with over one hundred babies named Matias each year from 2001 onwards.
The most recent data available (up to 2023) shows that Matias has become one of the top boys' names in the United States. In 2022 alone, there were 1944 births registered with the name Matias, and this number increased further to 2191 in 2023.
In total, over the past twenty-three years (from 2000 to 2023), more than 20,969 babies have been named Matias in the United States. This figure demonstrates the growing appeal and recognition of this name among American parents.