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

Matheson, 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 Matheson surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Matheson in America

Matheson is the 4678th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Matheson surname appeared 7,585 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Matheson.

We can also compare 2010 data for Matheson 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 Matheson

The surname Matheson originates from Scotland and can be traced back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Gaelic personal name "Mathanach," meaning "bear" or "son of the bear." The name was initially confined to the regions of Lochalsh and Lochcarron in the western Highlands of Scotland.

The earliest recorded mention of the name Matheson can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which documented the individuals who swore fealty to King Edward I of England. One entry in these rolls refers to "John Matheson of Lochcarron."

In the 16th century, the Mathesons were recognized as a prominent clan in the Scottish Highlands. They were known for their involvement in various feuds and battles with other clans, such as the MacDonalds and the Mackenzies.

The name Matheson has also been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One of the earliest recorded figures was Sir Roderick Matheson (c. 1565-1625), a Scottish soldier and landowner who fought in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms.

Another prominent Matheson was Sir James Matheson (1796-1878), a Scottish businessman and co-founder of the Jardine Matheson Group, one of the oldest trading companies in Hong Kong.

In the literary world, the name Matheson is associated with Richard Matheson (1926-2013), an American author and screenwriter known for his works in the horror and science fiction genres, including "I Am Legend" and "The Shrinking Man."

Other notable figures with the surname Matheson include William Matheson (1853-1942), a Canadian politician and businessman, and Michelle Matheson (born 1981), a British actress known for her roles in television series like "The Bill" and "Game of Thrones."

The Matheson surname has also been associated with various place names in Scotland, such as Matheson Island in Lochcarron and Matheson's Cove in the Isle of Skye, further cementing its Scottish roots and historical significance.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Matheson

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

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

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

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