2000
#6,482
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,832
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.79
Rare Last name
Mathieu
A French surname derived from the given name Matthew, meaning "gift of Yahweh" or "gift of God."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,403 Americans carry the last name Mathieu. That puts it at #5,937 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.87 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 53,530 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mathieu 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 Mathieu with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
6.4K
1 in 53,530
Census rank
#5,937
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,584 bearers of the surname Mathieu in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.87 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5937th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mathieu, the largest self-reported group is White at 59.6%. The next largest groups are Black (31.9%) and Hispanic (4.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mathieu
The surname Mathieu originated in France, with roots dating back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the medieval French personal name Mathieu, itself a French form of the Latin name Matthaeus. This Latin name ultimately traces back to the Hebrew name Mattityahu, meaning "gift of God."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Mathieu can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which documents a landowner named Mathieu in Normandy. This suggests that the name was already established in northern France by the 11th century.
By the 13th century, the surname had spread to other regions of France, notably Brittany and Anjou. Records from this time period show variations in spelling, such as Mathiu, Mathiev, and Mathiou, reflecting regional dialects and scribal practices.
One notable early bearer of the surname was Jean Mathieu (c. 1310-1390), a French theologian and philosopher who taught at the University of Paris. His writings on logic and metaphysics were influential in the late medieval period.
In the 16th century, the Mathieu surname was further dispersed across France, with records showing families bearing the name in regions like Normandy, Picardy, and Île-de-France. One notable Mathieu from this time was Claude Mathieu (1553-1633), a French jurist and author who served as a judge in the Parlement of Paris.
The 17th century saw the emergence of several notable figures with the Mathieu surname. Pierre Mathieu (1563-1621) was a French historian and poet who wrote extensively on the history of France and the House of Bourbon. Another Pierre Mathieu (1587-1676) was a French theologian and writer who served as a priest and published works on theology and ecclesiastical history.
In the 18th century, the Mathieu surname continued to be well-represented in France. François-Isidore Mathieu (1720-1790) was a French architect who designed several important buildings in Paris, including the Église Saint-Sulpice.
The 19th century saw the continued prominence of the Mathieu surname, with individuals like Adolphe Mathieu (1805-1886), a French historian and politician who served as a member of the National Assembly.
Throughout its history, the Mathieu surname has been borne by individuals from various walks of life, including scholars, artists, politicians, and professionals. While its origins lie in medieval France, the name has since spread to other parts of the world, carried by French immigrants and their descendants.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mathieu
Among Census respondents with the surname Mathieu, the largest self-reported group is White at 59.6%. The next largest groups are Black (31.9%) and Hispanic (4.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Mathieu 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 Mathieu surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White59.6% · 3,329
- Black or African American31.9% · 1,781
- Hispanic or Latino4.7% · 261
- Two or more races3.0% · 169
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 36
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mathieu
Mathieu 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
#6,232
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,483
+651 bearers (+13.5%)
Per 100,000 1.86
Rank movement Up 250 places
2020
#5,937
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,584
+101 bearers (+1.8%)
Per 100,000 1.87
Rank movement Up 295 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,482 | 4,832 | 1.79 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,232 | 5,483 | 1.86 | +651 bearers (+13.5%) | Up 250 places |
| 2020 | #5,937 | 5,584 | 1.87 | +101 bearers (+1.8%) | Up 295 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 Mathieu 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 | #6,232 | #5,937 | 4.7% |
| Count | 5,483 | 5,584 | 1.8% |
| Per 100K | 1.86 | 1.87 | 0.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mathieu bearers went from 5,483 to 5,584 (+1.8% change). The surname moved up 295 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,232 to #5,937.
FAQ
Mathieu surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mathieu?
Name Census estimates that about 6,403 living Americans carry the surname Mathieu. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 53,530 residents.
How common is Mathieu?
Mathieu ranks #5,937 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.87 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 5,584 people with the surname Mathieu. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,403), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.87 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.87 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 Mathieu.
Has Mathieu become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mathieu went from 5,483 recorded bearers to 5,584. That is an increase of 101 (+1.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #6,232 to #5,937.
What does the Census say about the background of Mathieu?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mathieu, the largest self-reported group is White at 59.6%. The next largest groups are Black (31.9%) and Hispanic (4.7%). 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 Mathieu in the 2020 Census, accounting for 59.6% (3,329 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mathieu appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (59.6%), Black (31.9%), Hispanic (4.7%). 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 Mathieu (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 Mathieu mean?
A French surname derived from the given name Matthew, meaning "gift of Yahweh" or "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 Mathieu (1.87 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 are called Mathieu?
Want to know how common the surname Mathieu is? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.