2000
#8,200
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,724
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.38
Rare Last name
Mathers
A Scottish and English surname derived from a place name meaning "mother's" or "maternal ancestor's" in Old English.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,061 Americans carry the last name Mathers. That puts it at #8,878 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.18 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 84,401 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mathers 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 Mathers with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.1K
1 in 84,401
Census rank
#8,878
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,541 bearers of the surname Mathers in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.18 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8878th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mathers, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (3.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mathers
Among Census respondents with the surname Mathers, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (3.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Mathers 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 Mathers surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.9% · 3,149
- Hispanic or Latino3.9% · 139
- Two or more races3.3% · 118
- Black or African American2.8% · 98
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 25
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 12
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mathers
Mathers 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
#8,526
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,860
+136 bearers (+3.7%)
Per 100,000 1.31
Rank movement Down 326 places
2020
#8,878
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,541
-319 bearers (-8.3%)
Per 100,000 1.18
Rank movement Down 352 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,200 | 3,724 | 1.38 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,526 | 3,860 | 1.31 | +136 bearers (+3.7%) | Down 326 places |
| 2020 | #8,878 | 3,541 | 1.18 | -319 bearers (-8.3%) | Down 352 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 Mathers 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 | #8,526 | #8,878 | -4.1% |
| Count | 3,860 | 3,541 | -8.3% |
| Per 100K | 1.31 | 1.18 | -9.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mathers bearers went from 3,860 to 3,541 (-8.3% change). The surname moved down 352 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,526 to #8,878.
FAQ
Mathers surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mathers?
Name Census estimates that about 4,061 living Americans carry the surname Mathers. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 84,401 residents.
How common is Mathers?
Mathers ranks #8,878 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.18 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,541 people with the surname Mathers. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,061), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.18 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.18 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Mathers.
Has Mathers become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mathers went from 3,860 recorded bearers to 3,541. That is a decrease of 319 (-8.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,526 to #8,878.
What does the Census say about the background of Mathers?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mathers, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (3.3%). 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 Mathers in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.9% (3,149 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mathers appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.9%), Hispanic (3.9%), Two or More Races (3.3%). 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 Mathers (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 Mathers mean?
A Scottish and English surname derived from a place name meaning "mother's" or "maternal ancestor's" in Old English. 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 Mathers (1.18 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 people have the surname Mathers?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.