Matti

See also: matti, mátti, and mätti

Finnish

Etymology

The medieval spoken form of the Vulgate Latin Matthias and Matthaeus, brought to Finland as Catholic saint's names. Cognate with English Matthias and Matthew.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmɑtːi/, [ˈmɑ̝t̪ːi]
• Rhymes: -ɑtːi
• Syllabification^(key): Mat‧ti

Proper noun

Matti

1. a male given name from Biblical Hebrew
   • 1840, Kanteletar:1:59 Huoliansa haasteleva:

     Tahi jos virkan vierahalle,
     mainitsen kylän Matille,
     vieras sen viieksi panevi,
     kylän Matti kymmeneksi.

   • 1876 Zachris Topelius, Maamme kirja, Chapter 71: Matti (translated from Swedish Boken om vårt land 1875):

     Eräällä isännällä oli kolme palvelijata. Iivana oli Wenäläinen, Eerikki oli Ruotsalainen ja Matti oli Suomalainen.

     A farmer had three servants. Ivan was Russian, Erik was Swedish and Matti was Finnish.

   • 2018, Pauliina Rauhala, Synninkantajat, Gummerus, →ISBN, page 31:

     Matti on maailman tavallisimman ja kunnollisimman miehen nimi. Sellaiseksi minäkin aion kasvaa, samanlaiseksi kuin isä, vaikka oma nimeni on vähän liian erikoinen.

     Matti was a name for the world's most ordinary and proper man. That's how I too want to grow up to be, like my father, even if my own name is a little too unusual.

2. The letter M in the Finnish spelling alphabet.

Usage notes

• The typical name for a Finnish male in stories and proverbs.
• Matti has been one of the most popular names in Finland since the Middle Ages, for reasons not quite clear. For example, it was the most common first name of men born in Finland in 1937–1949.

Declension

Inflection of Matti (Kotus type 5*C/risti, tt-t gradation)
nominative		Matti	Matit
genitive		Matin	Mattien
partitive		Mattia	Matteja
illative		Mattiin	Matteihin
		singular	plural
nominative		Matti	Matit
accusative	nom.	Matti	Matit
	gen.	Matin
genitive		Matin	Mattien
partitive		Mattia	Matteja
inessive		Matissa	Mateissa
elative		Matista	Mateista
illative		Mattiin	Matteihin
adessive		Matilla	Mateilla
ablative		Matilta	Mateilta
allative		Matille	Mateille
essive		Mattina	Matteina
translative		Matiksi	Mateiksi
abessive		Matitta	Mateitta
instructive		—	Matein
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of Matti (Kotus type 5*C/risti, tt-t gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative Mattini Mattini accusative nom. Mattini Mattini gen. Mattini genitive Mattini Mattieni partitive Mattiani Mattejani inessive Matissani Mateissani elative Matistani Mateistani illative Mattiini Matteihini adessive Matillani Mateillani ablative Matiltani Mateiltani allative Matilleni Mateilleni essive Mattinani Matteinani translative Matikseni Mateikseni abessive Matittani Mateittani instructive — — comitative — Matteineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative Mattisi Mattisi accusative nom. Mattisi Mattisi gen. Mattisi genitive Mattisi Mattiesi partitive Mattiasi Mattejasi inessive Matissasi Mateissasi elative Matistasi Mateistasi illative Mattiisi Matteihisi adessive Matillasi Mateillasi ablative Matiltasi Mateiltasi allative Matillesi Mateillesi essive Mattinasi Matteinasi translative Matiksesi Mateiksesi abessive Matittasi Mateittasi instructive — — comitative — Matteinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative Mattimme Mattimme accusative nom. Mattimme Mattimme gen. Mattimme genitive Mattimme Mattiemme partitive Mattiamme Mattejamme inessive Matissamme Mateissamme elative Matistamme Mateistamme illative Mattiimme Matteihimme adessive Matillamme Mateillamme ablative Matiltamme Mateiltamme allative Matillemme Mateillemme essive Mattinamme Matteinamme translative Matiksemme Mateiksemme abessive Matittamme Mateittamme instructive — — comitative — Matteinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative Mattinne Mattinne accusative nom. Mattinne Mattinne gen. Mattinne genitive Mattinne Mattienne partitive Mattianne Mattejanne inessive Matissanne Mateissanne elative Matistanne Mateistanne illative Mattiinne Matteihinne adessive Matillanne Mateillanne ablative Matiltanne Mateiltanne allative Matillenne Mateillenne essive Mattinanne Matteinanne translative Matiksenne Mateiksenne abessive Matittanne Mateittanne instructive — — comitative — Matteinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative Mattinsa Mattinsa accusative nom. Mattinsa Mattinsa gen. Mattinsa genitive Mattinsa Mattiensa partitive Mattiaan Mattiansa Mattejaan Mattejansa inessive Matissaan Matissansa Mateissaan Mateissansa elative Matistaan Matistansa Mateistaan Mateistansa illative Mattiinsa Matteihinsa adessive Matillaan Matillansa Mateillaan Mateillansa ablative Matiltaan Matiltansa Mateiltaan Mateiltansa allative Matilleen Matillensa Mateilleen Mateillensa essive Mattinaan Mattinansa Matteinaan Matteinansa translative Matikseen Matiksensa Mateikseen Mateiksensa abessive Matittaan Matittansa Mateittaan Mateittansa instructive — — comitative — Matteineen Matteinensa

Derived terms

• Matikainen
• Matikka
• Matti Meikäläinen
• Mattila
• Mattinen

 

compounds

• Juha-Matti
• Matinaho
• Matinkylä
• Matinlassi
• Matinlauri
• Matinlompolo
• Matintalo
• mattimeikäläinen
• mattimyöhäinen
• nukkumatti
• taskumatti
• Veli-Matti

 

Related terms

• (given names) Matias, Matteus, Mattias
• (pet form) Masa
• (surnames) Matikainen, Matilainen, Mattila, Mattinen

Statistics

• Matti is the 3^rd most common male given name in Finland, belonging to 40,196 male individuals (and as a middle name to 37,273 more), and also belongs as a middle name to 7 female individuals, according to February 2023 data from the Digital and Population Data Services Agency of Finland.

Anagrams

• matit, mitat, mitta