Find out how popular the last name Mathen is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Mathen.

Mathen, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Mathen surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Mathen in America

Mathen is the 134712th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Mathen surname appeared 125 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Mathen.

We can also compare 2010 data for Mathen to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Mathen

The surname Mathen is believed to have originated in the British Isles, particularly in England and Scotland, during the medieval period. It is likely derived from the personal name Matthew, which has its roots in the Hebrew name Mattityahu, meaning "gift of God."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Mathen can be found in the Domesday Book, a manuscript commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. This survey recorded the names of landowners and tenants across England, and variations of the name, such as Mathyn and Mathyn, are mentioned.

During the 13th century, the surname Mathen appeared in various records in Scotland, particularly in the regions of Aberdeenshire and Angus. It is believed that some of the earliest bearers of the name may have been descendants of individuals who migrated from England to Scotland during this time.

In the 14th century, a prominent figure named John Mathen was recorded in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland, which documented financial transactions and records of the Scottish royal government. John Mathen was a landowner and held several estates in Aberdeenshire.

In the 16th century, the surname Mathen was found in the parish records of Cumbria, England, where it was sometimes spelled as Mathyn or Mathane. One notable bearer of the name during this period was William Mathen (1530-1598), a merchant and alderman in the city of Carlisle.

In the 17th century, the surname Mathen was also present in various records in Ireland, likely due to the migration of Scottish and English settlers to the island. One notable figure was Robert Mathen (1620-1688), a Protestant minister who served in County Antrim.

Throughout history, the surname Mathen has been associated with several place names, such as Mathen in Cumbria, England, and Mathenhull in Staffordshire, England. These place names may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname in different regions.

Other notable individuals with the surname Mathen include:

1. Thomas Mathen (1745-1821), a Scottish poet and writer from Aberdeenshire.
2. Elizabeth Mathen (1825-1899), an English educator and advocate for women's rights, born in Cumbria.
3. James Mathen (1860-1932), a Scottish engineer and inventor, known for his contributions to the development of early steam engines.
4. Margaret Mathen (1895-1978), an Irish novelist and playwright, born in County Antrim.
5. David Mathen (1920-2005), a British military officer who served in World War II and received the Distinguished Service Order.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Mathen

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Mathen.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Mathen was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Mathen has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Mathen was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Mathen, please contact us.

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