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

Mathers, 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 Mathers surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Mathers in America

Mathers is the 8526th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Mathers surname appeared 3,860 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 Mathers.

We can also compare 2010 data for Mathers 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 Mathers

The surname Mathers originated in England, deriving from an occupational name for a mower or harvester of crops. It stems from the Old English word "mathere," which translates to "mower" or "reaper." The name first appeared in historical records during the 13th century.

Mathers is also believed to be a variation of the surname "Mather," which has similar origins. One of the earliest recorded instances of this name can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1275, where a Richard le Mather is mentioned.

In the 14th century, the surname Mathers began appearing in various regions of England, including Yorkshire, Lancashire, and Derbyshire. The Hundred Rolls of 1273 list a John le Mather in Derbyshire, suggesting the name's presence in that county during that period.

The Mathers surname has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One of the earliest was Richard Mather (1596-1669), a renowned Puritan minister and one of the founders of the Massachusetts Bay Colony in America.

Another prominent figure was Increase Mather (1639-1723), a Puritan minister and author who served as the president of Harvard College from 1685 to 1701. His son, Cotton Mather (1663-1728), was a highly influential Puritan minister and prolific author, best known for his work "Magnalia Christi Americana."

In England, the surname Mathers has been linked to places such as Matherfield in Staffordshire and Matherlow in Cheshire, both of which likely derived their names from people bearing the Mathers surname in those areas.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Mathers name appeared in various parish records and documents across England, including in counties like Lancashire, Yorkshire, and Derbyshire. Several variations of the spelling were also recorded, such as Mather, Mathers, and Mathers.

Another notable individual with the Mathers surname was Samuel Mathers (1766-1846), an English engraver and artist who was known for his intricate engravings of landscapes and architectural subjects.

The Mathers surname has endured throughout the centuries, and while its prevalence may have varied across regions and time periods, it remains a testament to the occupational roots and historical significance of this English surname.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Mathers

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!