2010
#138,304
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Matariyeh
Possibly an Arabic surname referring to a person from the town of Matariya in Egypt.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 138 Americans carry the last name Matariyeh. That puts it at #142,049 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,483,727 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Matariyeh surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
138
1 in 2,483,727
Census rank
#142,049
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
120
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 120 bearers of the surname Matariyeh in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142049th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Matariyeh, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.0%. The next largest groups are Black (2.5%) and Hispanic (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Matariyeh
The surname MATARIYEH originates from Egypt and can be traced back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Arabic word "Matariya," which refers to a town located in the Nile Delta region, near the city of Cairo. This town was once a significant center for agriculture and trade, and it is believed that the MATARIYEH surname was initially adopted by families who resided in or had connections to this area.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the MATARIYEH surname appears in a historical document from the Fatimid Caliphate, dated around 1150 CE. This document mentions a prominent merchant named Ahmad al-Matariyeh, who was involved in the trade of spices and textiles between Egypt and the Mediterranean region.
In the 13th century, during the Mamluk Sultanate, the MATARIYEH surname gained further prominence. A notable figure bearing this name was Ibrahim al-Matariyeh, a scholar and mathematician who contributed to the development of astronomical tables and calendars. He was born in 1220 CE and passed away in 1289 CE.
The MATARIYEH surname also has connections to the city of Matariya itself, which was once home to several notable historical sites. One such site was the Tree of the Virgin Mary, a legendary sycamore tree associated with the journey of the Holy Family during their flight into Egypt. This site became a place of pilgrimage for Christians and may have contributed to the spread of the MATARIYEH name among Christian families in the region.
As the centuries passed, the MATARIYEH surname spread across Egypt and beyond. In the 16th century, a prominent Ottoman official named Mustafa al-Matariyeh held influential positions in the administration of Egypt. He was known for his efforts in improving irrigation systems and agricultural practices in the Nile Delta region.
Another notable figure with the MATARIYEH surname was Fatima al-Matariyeh, a renowned poet and scholar who lived in the 18th century. Her collection of poems, titled "The Pearls of Wisdom," gained widespread recognition and was widely studied in literary circles.
Throughout history, the MATARIYEH surname has been associated with various professions, including merchants, scholars, officials, and poets. While the name may have evolved in its spelling and pronunciation over time, its origins can be traced back to the town of Matariya and the rich cultural heritage of Egypt.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Matariyeh
Among Census respondents with the surname Matariyeh, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.0%. The next largest groups are Black (2.5%) and Hispanic (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Matariyeh bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Matariyeh surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.0% · 114
- Black or African American2.5% · 3
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 2
- Two or more races0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Matariyeh
Matariyeh appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#142,049
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
-1 bearers (-0.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,745 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #138,304 | 121 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #142,049 | 120 | 0.04 | -1 bearers (-0.8%) | Down 3,745 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Matariyeh surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #138,304 | #142,049 | -2.7% |
| Count | 121 | 120 | -0.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Matariyeh bearers went from 121 to 120 (-0.8% change). The surname moved down 3,745 positions in the national ranking, going from #138,304 to #142,049.
FAQ
Matariyeh surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Matariyeh?
Name Census estimates that about 138 living Americans carry the surname Matariyeh. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,483,727 residents.
How common is Matariyeh?
Matariyeh ranks #142,049 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 120 people with the surname Matariyeh. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (138), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Matariyeh.
Has Matariyeh become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Matariyeh went from 121 recorded bearers to 120. That is a decrease of 1 (-0.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #138,304 to #142,049.
What does the Census say about the background of Matariyeh?
Among Census respondents with the surname Matariyeh, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.0%. The next largest groups are Black (2.5%) and Hispanic (1.7%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Matariyeh in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.0% (114 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Matariyeh appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.0%), Black (2.5%), Hispanic (1.7%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Matariyeh (2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Matariyeh mean?
Possibly an Arabic surname referring to a person from the town of Matariya in Egypt. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Matariyeh (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many Americans have the surname Matariyeh?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.