Matvey

Matvey is Matthew in East Slavic dress, drawn from the Hebrew Mattityahu, "gift of God." The apostle and evangelist Matthew lent the name biblical bedrock, and Russian and Ukrainian families have carried it forward through centuries of name-day calendars. Two syllables, the final vey landing on a small upward lift, a phonetic cousin to the English Matty without quite arriving there. In contemporary Russia the name has surged back into popularity, now regularly sitting among the top fifty boys' names. Rare in English-speaking countries and instantly distinctive. The diminutive Motya is tender and unfussed. Biblical, modernly fashionable, quietly affectionate.