The baby name Matisse blends creativity with surname style.
Thanks to Ana for suggesting our Baby Name of the Day.
WHAT DOES THE NAME MATISSE MEAN?
It’s tough to pin down the meaning and origin of Matisse, but we know it’s originally a surname of French origin.
The best guess is that Matisse comes from Matthew. After all, surnames like Mathis and Matis are familiar across Europe.
Matthew, of course, is a New Testament name, It’s originally Greek, the name of one of the twelve apostles and an early saint. He’s also called Matthias in some translations. Matthew and cousins all mean gift of God.
The meaning of Matisse might be the same.
As a given name, Matthew has been in use in English since at least the Middle Ages. It trended in the US during the mid-20th century, topping the popularity charts for boys in the 1980s and 90s.
History gives us figures like naval officer Matthew C. Perry, who led an American expedition to Japan. But pop culture has made other Matthews – like McConaughey and Broderick – household names.
At the moment, though, it’s the Spanish form of the name, Mateo, enjoying Top Ten status in the US.
Matisse shares Matthew nicknames Matt, Matty, and Mattie.
Of course, Mattie sounds like Maddie, as in the wildly popular Madison, Madelyn, and Madeline in recent years, too.
HENRI MATISSE
But it’s a famous artist putting Matisse on our list of possible names.
Born in 1869, Henri Mattise started out as one of les Fauves – the wild beasts.
They were known for vivid color, violent brush strokes, and abstract subjects.But Matisse’s style continued to evolve. He became friends – and sometimes rivals – with another visionary artist, Pablo Picasso.
Later in life, poor health made painting difficult, and he turned to decoupage and cut-out paper collages.
He’s considered one of the pioneers of modern art, with his bold colors.
His works are widely recognized today, and exhibitions of his work draw huge crowds. He left his mark on the world of art, making his name recognizable even by people who aren’t likely to visit a museum.
Speaking of museums, in 1988 one of Matisse’s paintings was stolen from Stockholm’s modern art museum, generating headlines everywhere. That year might’ve been the source of naming inspiration. More on that below.
ARTISTIC SURNAME NAME
A handful of uses might be familiar.
Actress Monet Mazur is known for her unique name. But she fits right in at home, where her brothers have similar names: Miro, Cezanne, and Matisse.
Child actress Brittany Smith became a pop singer using the stage name name Matisse. She’s also performed as Brit Smith.
ABC Family’s ballerina drama Bunheads included a supporting character called Matisse, played by an actress and dancer named Matisse, as it happens.
FEMININE OR MASCULINE NAME?
All of this raises the question: is the baby name Matisse better for boys or girls?
Because Matthew is a classic among male names, it’s easy to answer boy. That’s even more true now that Mateo is a very popular choice.
Except Madison and Madelyn/Madeline have dominated the girls’ popularity charts for much of the 21st century, leading to common nicknames like Maddie and Mads. That argues for considering Matisse a potential feminine choice.
With many a unique name, it’s not straightforward.
The best course of action? Looking at usage over time.
HOW POPULAR IS THE NAME MATISSE?
Has the artist inspired parents to borrow his name for their children?
According to the US Social Security Administration, the answer is a cautious yes:
- In 1998, the baby name Matisse debuted in the SSA data for girls, with five births.
- It wasn’t until 1994 that Matisse debuted for boys, with five births.
- Peak usage for girls was 1999, with 17 births total.
- As of 2024, 25 boys received the name, along with fewer than five girls.
All of this makes the baby name Matisse quite rare – a nearly unique name. At the moment, the numbers suggest Matisse is more popular for boys, but that could easily shift.
IMPORTED FROM THE ART WORLD
Renowned artist Henri Matisse offers a fascinating possibility. Matisse makes for a confident name, with a mix of boldness and the appeal of mainstream Mat- names, from classic Matthew to popular choice Madelyn.
It’s modern and traditional, vaguely French but very accessible in English. Matisse feels like a well-chosen name that’s uncommon but quite wearable at the same time.
What do you think of the baby name Matisse?
First published on June 11, 2015, this post was revised on June 10, 2025.
I randomly fell on this post when looking up the name Matisse.
My son is named Matisse and was born on June 11, 2015 the day this post was published, and obviously his name was chosen prior to birth…. mind blown, what an interesting coincidence.
Honestly, this name feels like it would fit a boy to me. So I’m surprised the poll says more people feel it fits a girl better. I suppose it’s the “-isse” sound at the end and the “-e” ending. Despite the latter, I think it’s uncommon and a “crossover-continental” type of boy name.
Names like Matthias and Matthieu seem to be gradually growing in popularity throughout last year (2021), so I don’t think it’s outlandish to see a parent name their son or daughter, “Matisse” to be slightly different! I would like to see more courageous baby naming parents go for it.
My name is Matisse and I was born in England 1985 🙂 I love my name and I hope the popularity doesn’t increase as I have always enjoyed being the only Matisse in a large radius. I am a bit protective over my name. It mine and I don’t want to share it hahahaha.
My youngest daughter’s name is Matisse. She was born in Feb 2012. Her sister’s name is Anouk (22 months older than Matisse). We are very happy with our names choices and they/we are always getting compliments on their names.
My Daughters name is Matisse named after her Father Matthew. We always get compliments saying how pretty and feminine her name is. She a very sweet happy go lucky child she’s very kind and loving child. She gets “Tissie” as a nickname.
I like it! I’ve considered Mathis for a boy. I think Matisse could work for a boy or a girl.
I love this one! I think it’s very feminine sounding though, so I wouldn’t give it to a boy.
Matisse falls somewhere between classic Matthew and trendy Madison? That is an interesting take. The downside is that Matisse rhymes with Bernice, so a really out-of-style sound. Matisse seems like it would be a good sibling paring to Paris or Bentley.
I went to grade school with a girl named Matisse- she would have been born in 1987/1988, so one of the 5! I was always intrigued by her name, it definitely stuck out in our little Catholic school.
The last name of our church’s rector is Matisse. She is a lovely, admirable woman and priest, but I can’t see Matisse as a given name.