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

Matherly, 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 Matherly surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Matherly in America

Matherly is the 12035th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Matherly surname appeared 2,593 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Matherly.

We can also compare 2010 data for Matherly 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 Matherly

The surname Matherly is of English origin, tracing its roots back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "mæthel" and "erl," which collectively translate to "council earl" or "meeting nobleman." This suggests that the name may have originally belonged to someone of high social status or importance in local assemblies or councils.

The earliest recorded instance of the name Matherly appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Matherlei" in reference to a landowner in the county of Gloucestershire. This entry provides valuable insight into the geographical origins of the surname, indicating that it likely emerged in the southwestern regions of England.

During the 13th century, various spellings of the name began to surface in historical records, such as "Matherley," "Matherly," and "Matherlie." These variations reflect the evolution of the English language and the different regional dialects that influenced the pronunciation and spelling of surnames.

One notable bearer of the Matherly name was Sir John Matherly, a English knight who fought alongside King Edward III during the Hundred Years' War in the 14th century. Another prominent figure was William Matherly, a merchant and alderman in the City of London during the late 16th century, who played a significant role in the establishment of trade guilds.

In the 17th century, the name Matherly appeared in several parish records across counties like Gloucestershire, Somerset, and Wiltshire, suggesting a continued presence in the southwestern regions of England. One such record from 1634 mentions the christening of Robert Matherly in the village of Cheddar, Somerset.

Moving into the 18th century, the Matherly surname gained recognition through individuals like Thomas Matherly (1703-1778), a prominent landowner and magistrate in Gloucestershire, and Elizabeth Matherly (1725-1802), a noted philanthropist and benefactor in the city of Bristol.

Throughout the 19th century, the name Matherly continued to be found in various historical records and documents across England, with some bearers of the name emigrating to other parts of the world, including North America and Australia, contributing to the global dispersal of the surname.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Matherly

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

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 Matherly 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 Matherly 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 Matherly was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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