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

Mathes, 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 Mathes surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Mathes in America

Mathes is the 5319th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Mathes surname appeared 6,553 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Mathes.

We can also compare 2010 data for Mathes 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 Mathes

The surname Mathes originated in Germany, with its roots tracing back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Germanic personal name Mathis or Matthias, which itself stems from the Hebrew name Mattathiah, meaning "gift of God."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Mathes name can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of historical documents from the region of Saxony, dating back to the 13th century. This collection mentions a certain "Mathes de Wilthen" in the year 1292.

In the 14th century, the Mathes name appeared in various records and manuscripts throughout Central Europe. For example, a "Johannes Mathes" is listed in the Stadtbuch von Freiburg im Breisgau, a municipal record book from the city of Freiburg, in the year 1348.

During the Renaissance period, the Mathes name gained prominence in certain regions of Germany. One notable individual was Hans Mathes (c. 1470-1534), a German painter and woodcarver from Nuremberg, renowned for his intricate altarpieces and religious artwork.

In the 17th century, the Mathes name could be found in various parts of the Holy Roman Empire. A prominent figure from this era was Johann Mathes (1617-1673), a German composer and organist who served as the Kapellmeister (chapel master) at the court of the Elector of Saxony in Dresden.

As the Mathes family spread across Europe, variations in spelling emerged, such as Mathies, Matthes, and Mattes. One notable bearer of this variant was Johann Matthes (1808-1892), a German-American artist and painter known for his landscapes and portraits.

Over the centuries, the Mathes name has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including scholars, artisans, and military personnel. Some examples include Johann Friedrich Mathes (1782-1856), a German philologist and educator, and Friedrich Mathes (1888-1952), a German general who served in both World Wars.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Mathes

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

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

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

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