2000
#4,476
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,295
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.70
Uncommon Last name
Matias
A surname of Spanish origin, derived from the given name Matías, the Spanish form of Matthias.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 13,983 Americans carry the last name Matias. That puts it at #2,879 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 4.08 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 24,512 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Matias 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 Matias with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
14K
1 in 24,512
Census rank
#2,879
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
4.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
12K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 12,194 bearers of the surname Matias in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 4.08 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2879th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Matias, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 77.8%. The next largest groups are White (10.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (9.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Matias
The surname Matias has its roots in the Iberian Peninsula, particularly in Spain and Portugal. It is believed to have originated from the Latin name Matthias, which means "gift of God" or "given by God." The name gained popularity during the Middle Ages, especially among those with Jewish or Moorish ancestry.
In Spain, the surname Matias can be traced back to the 12th century, when it was commonly found in regions like Andalusia and Castile. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is in the Repartimiento de Sevilla, a document from 1253 that lists the distribution of land and properties after the Reconquista of Seville.
During the 15th and 16th centuries, the Matias surname began to spread across Europe and the Americas as a result of Spanish and Portuguese exploration and colonization. Notable individuals with this surname include Juan Matias, a Spanish painter from the 16th century, and Andrés Matias Burroughs (1528-1592), a Spanish navigator and explorer who accompanied Sir Francis Drake on his famous voyage around the world.
In Portugal, the Matias surname can be traced back to the 13th century, particularly in the northern regions of the country. One of the earliest recorded instances is in the Livro Velhos de Linhagens, an ancient Portuguese genealogical record, which mentions a nobleman named Martim Matias who lived in the late 12th century.
As the Portuguese empire expanded, the Matias surname was carried to various parts of the world, including Brazil, Africa, and Asia. One notable figure was Sebastião Matias Pereira (1634-1688), a Portuguese explorer and navigator who played a significant role in the exploration of the Amazon River basin.
In the Netherlands, the Matias surname can be traced back to the 17th century, particularly in the regions of Friesland and Groningen. One of the earliest recorded instances is in the Fries Archief, which mentions a merchant named Dirck Matias who lived in Leeuwarden in the 1650s.
Throughout history, the Matias surname has been associated with various professions and social classes, ranging from noblemen and explorers to artisans and merchants. Some notable individuals with this surname include Antonio Matias (1775-1847), a Spanish painter and engraver; Juan Matias de Lecumberri (1752-1809), a Spanish naval officer and explorer; and Matias Sandorf (1837-1869), a Hungarian revolutionary and fictional character created by Jules Verne.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Matias
Among Census respondents with the surname Matias, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 77.8%. The next largest groups are White (10.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (9.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Matias 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 Matias surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino77.8% · 9,493
- White10.6% · 1,287
- Asian and Pacific Islander9.2% · 1,126
- Two or more races1.1% · 134
- Black or African American1.0% · 124
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 30
Timeline
Historical Census data for Matias
Matias 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
#3,091
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,635
+4,340 bearers (+59.5%)
Per 100,000 3.94
Rank movement Up 1,385 places
2020
#2,879
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,194
+559 bearers (+4.8%)
Per 100,000 4.08
Rank movement Up 212 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,476 | 7,295 | 2.70 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,091 | 11,635 | 3.94 | +4,340 bearers (+59.5%) | Up 1,385 places |
| 2020 | #2,879 | 12,194 | 4.08 | +559 bearers (+4.8%) | Up 212 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 Matias 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 | #3,091 | #2,879 | 6.9% |
| Count | 11,635 | 12,194 | 4.8% |
| Per 100K | 3.94 | 4.08 | 3.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Matias bearers went from 11,635 to 12,194 (+4.8% change). The surname moved up 212 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,091 to #2,879.
FAQ
Matias surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Matias?
Name Census estimates that about 13,983 living Americans carry the surname Matias. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 24,512 residents.
How common is Matias?
Matias ranks #2,879 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 4.08 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 12,194 people with the surname Matias. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (13,983), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 4.08 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 4.08 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Matias.
Has Matias become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Matias went from 11,635 recorded bearers to 12,194. That is an increase of 559 (+4.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #3,091 to #2,879.
What does the Census say about the background of Matias?
Among Census respondents with the surname Matias, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 77.8%. The next largest groups are White (10.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (9.2%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Matias in the 2020 Census, accounting for 77.8% (9,493 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Matias appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (77.8%), White (10.6%), Asian/Pacific Islander (9.2%). 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 Matias (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 Matias mean?
A surname of Spanish origin, derived from the given name Matías, the Spanish form of Matthias. 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 Matias (4.08 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 common is the surname Matias?
Want to know how many people have the last name Matias? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.