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The short answer
Matias is the Finnish and Portuguese form of Matthias, the New Testament apostle chosen by lot to replace Judas Iscariot. Behind the Name traces Matthias to Greek Ματθίας, a variant of Ματθαῖος (Matthew), with roots meaning "gift" and the divine name "Yahweh" — together read as "gift of Yahweh." It is pronounced MAH-tee-ahs. In the United States, Matias ranked #170 among boys' names in 2025 (Social Security Administration), part of a broader wave of Matthew-family names used across many languages.
Meaning and etymology
Behind the Name gives Matias as the "Finnish and Portuguese form of Matthias", and traces Matthias itself to the Greek Ματθίας, a variant of Ματθαῖος (Matthew), borne in the New Testament by the apostle chosen to replace Judas Iscariot. The Matthias entry lists the roots as mattaṯ and Yahweh, matching the traditional "gift of God/Yahweh" reading of the Matthew name family.
Editorial confidence: established
Linguistic roots
| Language | Form | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Hebrew | mattaṯ | gift |
| Hebrew (divine name) | Yahweh | the God of Israel |
Popularity
Matias ranked #170 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, according to db/list-batch.mjs's SSA 2025 figures, matching the rank in the cached Behind the Name snapshot for the same year.
| Region | Year | Rank | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 2025 | #170 | ssa-2025 |
Nicknames, variants, and related names
Nicknames: Matti
Variants: Matías, Mathias, Mattias
Related names: Matthew, Matthias, Mateo
What the name feels like
Matias carries the international, well-traveled feel common to the wider Matthew/Matthias name family, sounding equally at home in Finnish, Portuguese, and Spanish-speaking contexts while remaining easy for English speakers to say.
Style tags: biblical, international, classic, Matthew family
Editorial interpretation: This style read is editorial opinion. Behind the Name documents the linguistic form and history, not a style classification.
If you like this name
Other forms of Matthew/Matthias across languages, or names of biblical apostles.
Similar by origin
Similar by meaning
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Matias mean?
Matias is the Finnish and Portuguese form of Matthias, traditionally read as "gift of Yahweh" from the Hebrew roots mattaṯ ("gift") and the divine name Yahweh.
Is Matias the same name as Matthew?
It is closely related: Behind the Name lists Matias as a form of Matthias, which is itself a variant of Matthaios, the Greek form behind Matthew.
Is Matias a popular name?
Yes. Matias ranked #170 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, according to Social Security Administration data.
Sources
- Behind the Name: Meaning, origin and history of the name Matias — supports etymology, pronunciation, variants.
- Behind the Name: Meaning, origin and history of the name Matthias — supports etymology (root gloss), history.
- U.S. Social Security Administration: Popular Baby Names — national data, year of birth 2025 — supports popularity.
