Meaning: Its source is Matityah, a Hebrew name meaning "God's gift."

Nickname For: Matthew

Narrative: According to Christian folklore, the disciple Matthew collected taxes before he followed Jesus. Jews of that period hated tax-gatherers, who were agents of Herod, the Roman puppet-king. By accepting Matthew, Jesus demonstrated his tolerance of all types of people.

In the Bible, however, Levi is the disciple who formerly collected taxes. While many disciples were known by two names -- Simon Peter, Judas Iscariot and Judas Thaddeus, for example -- there is no clear indication that Matthew and Levi were the same man.

This is similar to the case of Mary Magdalene, popularly believed to be an ex-prostitute though this is not said in the Bible. However, scriptural gaps are unlikely to threaten traditions that underscore the Christian doctrine of accepting people without regard to their past.

Meaning: Its source is maht hild, an Ancient Germanic name meaning "Mighty in battle."

Languages: This girl's name is used in English.

Nickname For: Madison, Martha and Matilda

Popularity: The name Mattie ranked 773rd in popularity for females of all ages in a sample of 2000-2003 Social Security Administration statistics and 252nd in popularity for females of all ages in a sample of the 1990 US Census.

This name is highly rated in the 1990 U.S. Census popularity survey of all ages, but after 1960 does not appear in the state data listing the most popular baby names.