Matthei is both a given name and a surname with roots in the Christian tradition. As a first name, Matthei is an Old Church Slavic form of Matthew, the English form of the New Testament Greek name Ματθαῖος (Matthaios), itself derived from the Hebrew Mattithiah, meaning "gift of Yahweh." The name thus connects to the apostle Matthew, also called Levi, who authored the first gospel and was a tax collector before becoming a disciple of Jesus.