Matisse
Henri Émile Benoît Matisse was a French visual artist, known for both his use of colour and his fluid and original draughtsmanship. He was a draughtsman, printmaker, and sculptor, but is known primarily as a painter.
Meaning & Origin of Matisse
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Henri Émile Benoît Matisse was a French visual artist, known for both his use of colour and his fluid and original draughtsmanship. He was a draughtsman, printmaker, and sculptor, but is known primarily as a painter.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Matisse
As a girl name
Matisse first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1988, with 5 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 1999: 17 births, good for #5,896 nationwide. The 2000s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 41% of all recorded Matisses. Its most recent appearance in the national data came in 2019 (5 births); the name has since faded from the published rankings. In total, more than 215 Matisses have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1980s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
American parents first put Matisse on the record books as a boy name in 1994, with 5 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 2026, when 29 Matisses were born — ranking #3,865 that year. The 2020s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 44% of all recorded Matisses. In the latest 2026 data it stands at #3,865 among boy names with 29 births, rising sharply (+54% over the past five years). In total, more than 403 Matisses have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1990s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Where is Matisse most common?
Predicted country distribution based on naming patterns globally.
- France52%
- Belgium26%
- Italy9%
- United States8%
- Canada5%
Source: Nationalize.io . Probabilities are global naming-pattern estimates, not strict counts.
Names that sound like Matisse
Phonetically similar names — useful when Matisse is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Matisse
What does the name Matisse mean?
How popular is Matisse in 2026?
When was Matisse most popular?
In which U.S. states is Matisse most popular?
Is Matisse a unisex name?
What names go well with Matisse?
About the name Matisse
Matisse is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1994 and has accumulated 403 births in the dataset. Matisse's peak popularity came in 2026 when it ranked #3,813. Use the chart and map above to compare Matisse's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2026 →
- Names of the 2020s →
- Names starting with "M" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.