2000
#7,362
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,171
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.55
Rare Last name
Mathison
Son of Matthew, derived from the given name Mathew combined with the patronymic suffix -son.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,466 Americans carry the last name Mathison. That puts it at #8,133 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.30 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 76,748 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mathison 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 Mathison with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.5K
1 in 76,748
Census rank
#8,133
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,895 bearers of the surname Mathison in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.30 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8133rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mathison, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.7%. The next largest groups are Black (3.3%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mathison
The surname Mathison has its origins in the British Isles, specifically in Scotland and England. It is believed to have emerged during the medieval period, around the 12th or 13th century. The name is derived from the given name Mathew, which itself is a variation of the Hebrew name Mattityahu, meaning "gift of God."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Mathison can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire, dated 1170, where a person named Matheu de Wytan is mentioned. This suggests that the name was already in use by that time, likely originating as a patronymic, meaning "son of Mathew."
In Scotland, the surname Mathison is often associated with the Clan Matheson, a Highland clan with roots in the region of Ross-shire. The clan's history can be traced back to the 13th century, with one of the earliest recorded members being Dugall Matheson, who lived around 1250.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Mathison surname appeared in various historical records across Scotland and England. One notable figure was Sir James Mathison, a Scottish merchant and landowner who lived from 1796 to 1878. He amassed a considerable fortune through his trading activities and was known for his philanthropic efforts.
Another individual of note is John Mathison, a Scottish poet and writer who lived from 1809 to 1859. He is best known for his works "The Blind Girl of Wittenberg" and "The Songs of the Wilderness," which explored themes of nature and spirituality.
In England, the name Mathison has been associated with several notable figures as well. One example is Thomas Mathison, a 17th-century Puritan minister who served as the rector of St. Mary's Church in Bury St. Edmunds from 1637 to 1665.
The variation Matheson is also found in various historical records. Sir Roderick Matheson, a Scottish politician and businessman who lived from 1786 to 1873, was a prominent figure in the British East India Company and served as a member of parliament for several years.
Throughout its history, the surname Mathison has undergone various spelling variations, including Matheson, Mathieson, Matthison, and Matthewson, among others. These variations reflect the regional dialects and linguistic influences that shaped the name over time.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mathison
Among Census respondents with the surname Mathison, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.7%. The next largest groups are Black (3.3%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Mathison 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 Mathison surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.7% · 3,456
- Black or African American3.3% · 128
- Two or more races3.2% · 124
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 109
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 42
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 36
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mathison
Mathison 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
#7,692
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,316
+145 bearers (+3.5%)
Per 100,000 1.46
Rank movement Down 330 places
2020
#8,133
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,895
-421 bearers (-9.8%)
Per 100,000 1.30
Rank movement Down 441 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,362 | 4,171 | 1.55 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,692 | 4,316 | 1.46 | +145 bearers (+3.5%) | Down 330 places |
| 2020 | #8,133 | 3,895 | 1.30 | -421 bearers (-9.8%) | Down 441 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 Mathison 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 | #7,692 | #8,133 | -5.7% |
| Count | 4,316 | 3,895 | -9.8% |
| Per 100K | 1.46 | 1.30 | -10.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mathison bearers went from 4,316 to 3,895 (-9.8% change). The surname moved down 441 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,692 to #8,133.
FAQ
Mathison surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mathison?
Name Census estimates that about 4,466 living Americans carry the surname Mathison. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 76,748 residents.
How common is Mathison?
Mathison ranks #8,133 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.30 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,895 people with the surname Mathison. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,466), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.3 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.30 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Mathison.
Has Mathison become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mathison went from 4,316 recorded bearers to 3,895. That is a decrease of 421 (-9.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,692 to #8,133.
What does the Census say about the background of Mathison?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mathison, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.7%. The next largest groups are Black (3.3%) and Two or More Races (3.2%). 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 Mathison in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.7% (3,456 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mathison appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.7%), Black (3.3%), Two or More Races (3.2%). 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 Mathison (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 Mathison mean?
Son of Matthew, derived from the given name Mathew combined with the patronymic suffix -son. 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 Mathison (1.30 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 last name Mathison?
You can see how many people have the surname Mathison on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.