Baby Names US
boys' name ★ peaked 1959

Matt

Gender Boy Rank 2025 #3,818 Trend → Stable

Matt or Mat is a male given name, often used as a nickname for Matthew.

Rank 2025
#3,818
among boys · ↓1,000 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
29
named Matt · -37% vs 2024
How common
1 in 58,899
boys born in 2025
Peak year
1959
975 babies
All-time total
23,892
#765 all-time among boys
First recorded
1880
in Social Security records

Matt popularity over time

23,892 babies have been named Matt since 1880, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.190.380.560.7518801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
BoysGirls

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Girls Boys Total Per year Change Best rank
1880s – 368 368 37 – #230
1890s – 257 257 26 -30% #320
1900s – 252 252 25 -2% #379
1910s – 838 838 84 +233% #466
1920s – 848 848 85 +1% #624
1930s – 587 587 59 -31% #743
1940s – 697 697 70 +19% #721
1950s – 3,513 3,513 351 +404% #256
1960s – 8,226 8,226 823 +134% #253
1970s 5 4,564 4,569 457 -44% #266
1980s – 1,750 1,750 175 -62% #561
1990s – 672 672 67 -62% #1,125
2000s – 558 558 56 -17% #1,908
2010s – 528 528 53 -5% #1,994
2020s (to 2025) – 229 229 38 -28% #2,787

Where Matt is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 boys (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year Projected babies Per 1,000 boys Implied rank
2026 29 0.02 outside top 500
2027 29 0.02 outside top 500
2028 29 0.02 outside top 500
2029 29 0.02 outside top 500
2030 28 0.02 outside top 500

The story of Matt

Matt is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #3,818 in 2025 with 29 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.

Since 1880, 23,892 American babies have been named Matt. Its peak came in 1959, when 975 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1950s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Matt stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Matt?

The median living Matt is about 57 years old; half are between 49 and 64. An estimated 18 thousand people named Matt are alive in the United States today.

median 57 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Matt year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Girls Girls rank Boys Boys rank
2025 – – 29 #3,818
2024 – – 46 #2,818
2023 – – 46 #2,787
2022 – – 34 #3,444
2021 – – 37 #3,221
2020 – – 37 #3,111
2019 – – 39 #3,087
2018 – – 42 #2,873
2017 – – 72 #1,994
2016 – – 59 #2,268
2015 – – 57 #2,318
2014 – – 61 #2,224
2013 – – 47 #2,583
2012 – – 56 #2,315
2011 – – 44 #2,727
2010 – – 51 #2,456
2009 – – 60 #2,221
2008 – – 68 #2,050
2007 – – 62 #2,178
2006 – – 67 #2,003
2005 – – 40 #2,740
2004 – – 46 #2,441
2003 – – 55 #2,071
2002 – – 59 #1,908
2001 – – 53 #2,020
2000 – – 48 #2,116
1995 – – 50 #1,771
1990 – – 92 #1,125
1985 – – 167 #687
1980 – – 236 #561
1975 – – 408 #388
1970 – – 739 #285
1965 – – 800 #260
1960 – – 878 #269
1955 – – 196 #523
1950 – – 76 #787
1945 – – 60 #804
1940 – – 66 #765
1935 – – 59 #810
1930 – – 71 #762
1925 – – 87 #693
1920 – – 94 #659
1915 – – 106 #543
1910 – – 27 #551
1905 – – 24 #459
1900 – – 31 #409
1895 – – 26 #377
1890 – – 28 #333
1885 – – 41 #262
1880 – – 41 #264

Famous people named Matt

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Matt Damon Matt Damon American actor (born 1970) Contemporary
  2. 2 Matt LeBlanc Matt LeBlanc American actor (born 1967) Contemporary
  3. 3 Matt Dillon Matt Dillon American actor (born 1964) Contemporary
  4. 4 Matt Bomer Matt Bomer American actor (born 1977) Contemporary
  5. 5 Matt Lucas Matt Lucas British actor and comedian (born 1974) Contemporary
  6. 6 Matt Groening Matt Groening American cartoonist and animator (born 1954) Contemporary
  7. 7 Matt Czuchry Matt Czuchry American actor (born 1977) Contemporary
  8. 8 Matt Bellamy Matt Bellamy English musician (born 1978) Contemporary
  9. 9 Matt Stone Matt Stone American animator, filmmaker, songwriter and actor (born 1971) Contemporary
  10. 10 Matt Reeves Matt Reeves American filmmaker (born 1966) Contemporary
  11. 11 Matt Hardy Matt Hardy American professional wrestler (born 1974) Contemporary
  12. 12 Matt Frewer Matt Frewer Canadian-American actor (born 1958) Contemporary
  13. 13 Matt Hughes Matt Hughes American wrestler and mixed martial arts fighter b. 1973 · Contemporary
  14. 14 Matt Lanter Matt Lanter American actor (born 1983) Contemporary
  15. 15 Matt Le Tissier Matt Le Tissier English footballer (born 1968) Contemporary
  16. 16 Matt Cameron Matt Cameron American drummer (born 1962) Contemporary
  17. 17 Matt Busby Matt Busby Scottish footballer, manager (1909–1994) Contemporary
  18. 18 Matt McCoy American actor b. 1958 · Contemporary
  19. 19 Matt Ross Matt Ross American actor (born 1970) Contemporary
  20. 20 Matt Craven Canadian actor b. 1956 · Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Matt, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Matt?

The median living Matt is about 57 years old. Half of all living Matts are between 49 and 64 years old.

How many people named Matt are alive today?

An estimated 18 thousand people named Matt are alive in the United States, based on 23,892 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Matt mean?

Matt or Mat is a male given name, often used as a nickname for Matthew.

How popular is the name Matt in 2025?

Matt ranked #3,818 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 29 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Matt?

23,892 babies have been named Matt in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Matt most popular?

Matt peaked in 1959, when 975 newborns received the name.

Is Matt a boy or girl name?

Matt is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Matt rising or falling?

Matt is declining, less popular now than a decade ago.

Will Matt become more popular?

Matt looks stable. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 28 boys named Matt in 2030, ranking outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Matt?

Well-known people named Matt include Matt Damon (actor), Matt LeBlanc (actor), Matt Dillon (actor).

Names like Matt

Names that sound and feel close to Matt: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Matt with similar names → More names starting with M →