Thijs

♂ Boy

Pronounced TICE /ˈtɛis/Medium

Meaning: Thijs is the Dutch short form of Matthijs, the Dutch version of Matthew — Hebrew Mattityahu, 'gift of Yahweh, gift of God.' It is said roughly 'TICE,' rhyming with 'nice,' not with an English 'th' sound.Medium

In 30 seconds: A crisp Dutch classic: Thijs is short for Matthijs (Matthew), 'gift of God' (said 'TICE,' rhyming with nice). One clean beat.

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Origin MediumDutch

MeaningThijs is the Dutch short form of Matthijs, the Dutch version of Matthew — Hebrew Mattityahu, 'gift of Yahweh, gift of God.' It is said roughly 'TICE,' rhyming with 'nice,' not with an English 'th' sound.

U.S. rank (2024)#13991 ↗ Rising

2024 U.S. births5 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)

Peak year2007

Total births (all-time)≈ 112

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Thijs is the Dutch short form of Matthijs, itself the Dutch form of Matthew — from Hebrew Mattityahu, 'gift of God.' Long common in the Netherlands and Flanders, it remains a staple of Dutch boys' names. English speakers regularly mispronounce it; the Dutch sound is close to 'TICE' (said 'TICE').

It appears only rarely for boys in the U.S. Rare here, everyday in the Netherlands, and short.

Did you know? The Dutch 'ij' is a single letter in spirit — which is why Thijs comes out as one syllable rhyming with 'nice,' and why the h does not make an English 'th' sound at all (said 'TICE').

Overall data confidence 60%

References — Thijs — Dutch short form of Matthijs (Matthew); Hebrew Mattityahu 'gift of God'

Variations

MatthijsTiesTijs

Nicknames

TiesT

Famous Bearers

Famous bearers coming soon.

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Luuk— a fellow Dutch choice

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Thijs mean?

Thijs is the Dutch short form of Matthijs, the Dutch Matthew, from Hebrew Mattityahu, 'gift of God.'

How do you pronounce Thijs?

It's said TICE /ˈtɛis/ — one syllable, rhyming with 'nice'; there is no English 'th' sound.

Is Thijs a boy or girl name?

Thijs is used as a boy's name.

How popular is Thijs?

Thijs is a very rare name for boys in the U.S., though it is common in the Netherlands.