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

Mathew, 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 Mathew surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Mathew in America

Mathew is the 2612th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Mathew surname appeared 13,808 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 5 people would have the surname Mathew.

We can also compare 2010 data for Mathew 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 Mathew

The surname Mathew has its origins in the Hebrew name Mattityahu, which means "gift of God." The name was later Anglicized and adopted as a surname in various European countries, particularly in England and Wales.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Mathew can be traced back to the late 11th century in England. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Mathew de Mohun, who was recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as holding lands in Somerset, England.

During the Middle Ages, the surname Mathew was often associated with places names, such as Mathew of Gloucester, referring to an individual from the city of Gloucester. The spelling variations of the name were numerous, including Mathew, Matthew, Mathewe, and Mattheus, among others.

Notable historical figures with the surname Mathew include Sir Toby Mathew (1577-1655), an English politician and courtier during the reigns of Elizabeth I and James I. Another prominent figure was Sir Francis Mathew (1530-1615), a Welsh landowner and Member of Parliament for Pembrokeshire.

In the 18th century, Admiral Thomas Mathews (1676-1751) was a British naval officer who played a significant role in the War of Jenkins' Ear against Spain. He is remembered for his involvement in the Battle of Toulon in 1744.

The 19th century saw the rise of Theobald Mathew (1790-1856), an Irish Catholic priest and pioneer of the temperance movement in Ireland. His efforts to promote abstinence from alcohol significantly impacted Irish society and earned him widespread recognition.

Another notable figure with the surname Mathew was Sir John Charles Mathew (1849-1920), an English jurist and judge who served as a Lord Justice of Appeal and was known for his legal writings and contributions to the field of law.

Throughout history, the surname Mathew has been associated with various professions, including landowners, politicians, military figures, religious leaders, and jurists, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and achievements of its bearers.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Mathew

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

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

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

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