Maciej

Your name influences who you are and it also impacts on how you are perceived. That is at least what my grandma says and I believe in that. Based on the personal traits, Matthias is a creative and goal-oriented individual with the characteristics of a family person. The above qualities are indeed the ones I identify with. Setting ambitious goals keeps me motivated, passionate, and committed. I also believe in the value of family. When I lived in Poland, my parents shared the house with my grandma. Despite the generation gap, I appreciated our long discussions about history and the future. Being the youngest in my family, I was usually the one to help her with daily chores, which made us very close. 

Matthew stems from Hebrew (Matityahu) and means “gift of God”. The name has profound religious significance. In the Bible, Matthias is associated with one of the disciples. The distinction between the names Mateusz (Mathew) and Maciej (Matthias) was introduced to the Polish language as late as in the 16th century. 

In the year I was born (2004), the name Maciej (Ma-che-y) was ranked number 10 in the survey on the most popular names. More than 4700 young boys were named Maciej. My older brother’s name is Mateusz. My parents liked this name so much. When they searched for a name for me, they came across the name Maciej and they realized it had originated from the name Mateusz. I also owe my middle name to my brother. When he saw me for the first time, he called me Patrick. Since my parents had already chosen my first name, Patryk became my middle name.

I strongly identify with my name, but the only downside is that it is challenging to pronounce for those who are not Polish native speakers. This has led to a lot of confusion in the USA. I suppose my parents did not consider the possibility of me studying abroad when I was born. However, while my aunt and uncle who are Polish and used to live in the USA were choosing a name for their first child, they made sure to select the one with a similar English equivalent. Therefore, my cousin was named Steve (in Polish, Stefan).

Works Cited:

Księga Imion. (n.d.). Maciej. Retrieved from https://www.ksiegaimion.com/maciej

Jakie Imie. (n.d.). Najpopularniejsze imiona 2004 roku. Retrieved from https://jakieimie.pl/najpopularniejsze/2004

Angelsname. (n.d.). Matthias - Name Meaning, Origin, Personality Traits & More. Retrieved from https://angelsname.com/boy/matthias/meaning-origin-numerology-personality-traits-horoscope-detailed-information-about-name-matthias

MomJunction. (n.d.). Matthias - Name Meaning, Origin, and Popularity. Retrieved from https://www.momjunction.com/baby-names/matthias/