2000
#125,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 126
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Matchey
A variant spelling of the English surname Macey, derived from the medieval personal name Macy.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 132 Americans carry the last name Matchey. That puts it at #145,757 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,596,624 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Matchey 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
132
1 in 2,596,624
Census rank
#145,757
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
115
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 115 bearers of the surname Matchey in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145757th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Matchey, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Matchey
The surname Matchey has its roots in England, dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have originated from the Middle English word "machon," which referred to a person who made or sold matches. The name may also be related to the Old French word "machier," meaning "to chew or gnaw."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Matchey can be found in the parish records of St. Mary's Church in Oxfordshire, where a William Matchey was listed as a resident in 1587. The name was also present in the records of the nearby village of Woodstock, suggesting that the family may have originated from this region.
In the 17th century, the Matchey name appeared in various historical documents, including the Hearth Tax Rolls of 1662. These records listed several Matchey households in the counties of Oxfordshire and Berkshire, indicating a concentration of the name in this area of southern England.
The Matchey surname is also associated with the small village of Matchey's Green, located in Oxfordshire. This place name likely derived from the presence of the Matchey family in the area, and it serves as a testament to their longstanding connection to the region.
One notable individual bearing the Matchey surname was John Matchey (1658-1724), a prominent merchant and landowner from Berkshire. He was involved in the wool trade and owned several properties in the area, leaving a lasting legacy for his family.
Another figure of note was Elizabeth Matchey (1734-1802), a philanthropist from Oxfordshire who donated a significant portion of her inheritance to establish a school for underprivileged children in her local community.
In the 19th century, the Matchey name spread beyond its traditional stronghold in southern England. William Matchey (1812-1887), a successful businessman from Oxfordshire, relocated to London and established a thriving import-export company, contributing to the growth of the family's influence.
Reverend Thomas Matchey (1841-1911) was a respected clergyman and author who served as the vicar of St. Mary's Church in Oxfordshire, the same parish where the name was first recorded centuries earlier.
While the Matchey surname may not be as widespread as some others, it has a rich history and a strong connection to its English roots, particularly in the counties of Oxfordshire and Berkshire.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Matchey
Among Census respondents with the surname Matchey, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Matchey 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 Matchey surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White97.4% · 112
- Two or more races2.6% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Matchey
Matchey appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#137,327
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
-4 bearers (-3.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 11,688 places
2020
#145,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
-7 bearers (-5.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 8,430 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #125,639 | 126 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #137,327 | 122 | 0.04 | -4 bearers (-3.2%) | Down 11,688 places |
| 2020 | #145,757 | 115 | 0.04 | -7 bearers (-5.7%) | Down 8,430 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 Matchey 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 | #137,327 | #145,757 | -6.1% |
| Count | 122 | 115 | -5.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Matchey bearers went from 122 to 115 (-5.7% change). The surname moved down 8,430 positions in the national ranking, going from #137,327 to #145,757.
FAQ
Matchey surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Matchey?
Name Census estimates that about 132 living Americans carry the surname Matchey. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,596,624 residents.
How common is Matchey?
Matchey ranks #145,757 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 115 people with the surname Matchey. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (132), 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 Matchey.
Has Matchey become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Matchey went from 122 recorded bearers to 115. That is a decrease of 7 (-5.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #137,327 to #145,757.
What does the Census say about the background of Matchey?
Among Census respondents with the surname Matchey, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Matchey in the 2020 Census, accounting for 97.4% (112 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Matchey appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (97.4%), Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Matchey (2000, 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 Matchey mean?
A variant spelling of the English surname Macey, derived from the medieval personal name Macy. 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 Matchey (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 common is the surname Matchey?
See how common the surname Matchey is on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.