2000
#4,983
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,468
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.40
Rare Last name
Mathes
A variant of the English surname Matthews, derived from the given name Matthew, meaning "gift of God."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 7,258 Americans carry the last name Mathes. That puts it at #5,313 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.12 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 47,224 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mathes 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 Mathes with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
7.3K
1 in 47,224
Census rank
#5,313
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,329 bearers of the surname Mathes in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.12 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5313th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mathes, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.7%. The next largest groups are Black (7.4%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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earliest recorded instances of the Mathes name can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of historical documents from the region of Saxony, dating back to the 13th century.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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mathes
Among Census respondents with the surname Mathes, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.7%. The next largest groups are Black (7.4%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Mathes 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 Mathes surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.7% · 5,359
- Black or African American7.4% · 470
- Two or more races4.2% · 264
- Hispanic or Latino2.5% · 156
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 45
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 35
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mathes
Mathes 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
#5,319
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,553
+85 bearers (+1.3%)
Per 100,000 2.22
Rank movement Down 336 places
2020
#5,313
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,329
-224 bearers (-3.4%)
Per 100,000 2.12
Rank movement Up 6 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,983 | 6,468 | 2.40 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,319 | 6,553 | 2.22 | +85 bearers (+1.3%) | Down 336 places |
| 2020 | #5,313 | 6,329 | 2.12 | -224 bearers (-3.4%) | Up 6 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 Mathes 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 | #5,319 | #5,313 | 0.1% |
| Count | 6,553 | 6,329 | -3.4% |
| Per 100K | 2.22 | 2.12 | -4.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mathes bearers went from 6,553 to 6,329 (-3.4% change). The surname moved up 6 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,319 to #5,313.
FAQ
Mathes surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mathes?
Name Census estimates that about 7,258 living Americans carry the surname Mathes. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 47,224 residents.
How common is Mathes?
Mathes ranks #5,313 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.12 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 6,329 people with the surname Mathes. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (7,258), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.12 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.12 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Mathes.
Has Mathes become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mathes went from 6,553 recorded bearers to 6,329. That is a decrease of 224 (-3.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #5,319 to #5,313.
What does the Census say about the background of Mathes?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mathes, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.7%. The next largest groups are Black (7.4%) and Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Mathes in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.7% (5,359 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mathes appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.7%), Black (7.4%), Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Mathes (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 Mathes mean?
A variant of the English surname Matthews, derived from the given name Matthew, meaning "gift of God." 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 Mathes (2.12 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 Mathes?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.