2000
#3,509
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,311
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.45
Uncommon Last name
Mathew
A variant of the surname Matthew, derived from the Hebrew name Matityahu, meaning "gift of Yahweh."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 19,945 Americans carry the last name Mathew. That puts it at #2,030 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 5.82 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 17,185 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mathew 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 Mathew with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
20K
1 in 17,185
Census rank
#2,030
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
5.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
17K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 17,393 bearers of the surname Mathew in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 5.82 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2030th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mathew, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 85.2%. The next largest groups are White (8.4%) and Two or More Races (2.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mathew
Among Census respondents with the surname Mathew, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 85.2%. The next largest groups are White (8.4%) and Two or More Races (2.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Mathew 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 Mathew surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander85.2% · 14,822
- White8.4% · 1,464
- Two or more races2.3% · 408
- Black or African American2.2% · 387
- Hispanic or Latino1.4% · 240
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 72
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mathew
Mathew 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
#2,612
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 13,808
+4,497 bearers (+48.3%)
Per 100,000 4.68
Rank movement Up 897 places
2020
#2,030
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 17,393
+3,585 bearers (+26.0%)
Per 100,000 5.82
Rank movement Up 582 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,509 | 9,311 | 3.45 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,612 | 13,808 | 4.68 | +4,497 bearers (+48.3%) | Up 897 places |
| 2020 | #2,030 | 17,393 | 5.82 | +3,585 bearers (+26.0%) | Up 582 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 Mathew 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 | #2,612 | #2,030 | 22.3% |
| Count | 13,808 | 17,393 | 26.0% |
| Per 100K | 4.68 | 5.82 | 24.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mathew bearers went from 13,808 to 17,393 (+26.0% change). The surname moved up 582 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,612 to #2,030.
FAQ
Mathew surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mathew?
Name Census estimates that about 19,945 living Americans carry the surname Mathew. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 17,185 residents.
How common is Mathew?
Mathew ranks #2,030 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 5.82 per 100,000 residents, which is about 6 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 17,393 people with the surname Mathew. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (19,945), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 5.82 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 5.82 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 6 of them to have the surname Mathew.
Has Mathew become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mathew went from 13,808 recorded bearers to 17,393. That is an increase of 3,585 (+26.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #2,612 to #2,030.
What does the Census say about the background of Mathew?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mathew, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 85.2%. The next largest groups are White (8.4%) and Two or More Races (2.3%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Mathew in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.2% (14,822 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mathew appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (85.2%), White (8.4%), Two or More Races (2.3%). 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 Mathew (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 Mathew mean?
A variant of the surname Matthew, derived from the Hebrew name Matityahu, meaning "gift of Yahweh." 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 Mathew (5.82 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 share the surname Mathew?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.