2000
#18,506
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,376
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.51
Rare Last name
Mateer
A variant spelling of the surname Mattair, meaning an occupational name for a thatcher or roofer.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,314 Americans carry the last name Mateer. That puts it at #22,950 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.38 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 260,848 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mateer 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Mateer with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
1.3K
1 in 260,848
Census rank
#22,950
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,146 bearers of the surname Mateer in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.38 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 22950th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mateer, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.2%) and Hispanic (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mateer
The surname Mateer has its origins in Scotland, with the earliest records dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Gaelic words "mac an t-saoír," which translates to "son of the carpenter" or "son of the woodworker."
One of the earliest documented instances of the name Mateer can be found in the Scottish Parish Records from the year 1574, where a John Mateer was listed as a resident of Ayrshire. The name was also prevalent in other parts of Scotland, including Lanarkshire and Renfrewshire.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Mateer surname appeared in various historical records and documents, such as the Register of the Privy Council of Scotland and the Old Parochial Registers. These records provide insights into the lives and activities of individuals bearing the Mateer name.
In the late 18th century, a notable figure named James Mateer (1752-1821) emerged as a prominent merchant and shipowner in Greenock, Scotland. His successful business ventures and contributions to the local community cemented the Mateer name in the region's history.
Another significant individual was John Mateer (1787-1858), a Scottish-born farmer and politician who emigrated to Nova Scotia, Canada, in the early 19th century. He served as a member of the Nova Scotia House of Assembly and played a role in shaping the province's political landscape.
The Mateer surname also has a connection to Ireland, where several individuals bearing this name settled during the Plantation of Ulster in the 17th century. One such figure was Robert Mateer (1630-1702), a Presbyterian minister who was instrumental in establishing congregations in County Down.
In the United States, the Mateer name gained prominence with individuals like John Mateer (1810-1890), a successful businessman and banker from Pennsylvania, and Samuel Mateer (1829-1911), a Presbyterian minister and educator who served as the president of Parsons College in Iowa.
Throughout history, the Mateer surname has been associated with various professions, including carpentry, farming, business, and religious leadership. While the name may have undergone minor spelling variations over time, such as Mather, Matier, or Matteer, its Scottish roots and connection to the Gaelic language remain a defining feature of its origin and evolution.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mateer
Among Census respondents with the surname Mateer, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.2%) and Hispanic (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Mateer 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 Mateer surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.5% · 1,083
- Two or more races2.2% · 25
- Hispanic or Latino1.9% · 22
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 12
- Black or African American0.3% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mateer
Mateer 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
#19,513
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,384
+8 bearers (+0.6%)
Per 100,000 0.47
Rank movement Down 1,007 places
2020
#22,950
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,146
-238 bearers (-17.2%)
Per 100,000 0.38
Rank movement Down 3,437 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #18,506 | 1,376 | 0.51 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #19,513 | 1,384 | 0.47 | +8 bearers (+0.6%) | Down 1,007 places |
| 2020 | #22,950 | 1,146 | 0.38 | -238 bearers (-17.2%) | Down 3,437 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 Mateer 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 | #19,513 | #22,950 | -17.6% |
| Count | 1,384 | 1,146 | -17.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.47 | 0.38 | -18.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mateer bearers went from 1,384 to 1,146 (-17.2% change). The surname moved down 3,437 positions in the national ranking, going from #19,513 to #22,950.
FAQ
Mateer surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mateer?
Name Census estimates that about 1,314 living Americans carry the surname Mateer. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 260,848 residents.
How common is Mateer?
Mateer ranks #22,950 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.38 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 1,146 people with the surname Mateer. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,314), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.38 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.38 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 Mateer.
Has Mateer become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mateer went from 1,384 recorded bearers to 1,146. That is a decrease of 238 (-17.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #19,513 to #22,950.
What does the Census say about the background of Mateer?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mateer, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.2%) and Hispanic (1.9%). 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 Mateer in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.5% (1,083 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mateer appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.5%), Two or More Races (2.2%), Hispanic (1.9%). 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 Mateer (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 Mateer mean?
A variant spelling of the surname Mattair, meaning an occupational name for a thatcher or roofer. 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 Mateer (0.38 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 Mateer?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.