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

Matney, 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 Matney surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Matney in America

Matney is the 6198th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Matney surname appeared 5,518 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Matney.

We can also compare 2010 data for Matney 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 Matney

The surname Matney originated in England during the late medieval period, deriving from the Old English words "mæt" meaning "meet" or "suitable" and "ney" meaning "island" or "waterside dwelling." It likely originated as a descriptive name for someone who lived near a suitable or agreeable island or riverside location.

The earliest known recorded spelling of the name is found in the Pipe Rolls of Warwickshire in 1221, where one Richard de Mattenye is listed. This indicates the name was established in the English Midlands by the 13th century. Variant spellings from this era include Matteney, Mattenay, and Matnie.

In the famous Domesday Book of 1086, there are no direct references to the surname Matney. However, the place name "Matena" is recorded, which may have been an early precursor to the surname's evolution.

One of the earliest notable bearers of the name was Sir John Matney, a knight who fought in the Battle of Agincourt in 1415 during the Hundred Years' War. He hailed from Warwickshire and his coat of arms is still preserved in historical records.

Another early figure was William Matney, born in 1548 in Gloucestershire, who was a renowned scholar and translator of Latin texts during the Elizabethan era.

In the 17th century, the Matney surname appeared in various parish records across Warwickshire, Gloucestershire, and Worcestershire, suggesting its continued prevalence in the West Midlands region.

One notable bearer from this period was Reverend Thomas Matney (1625-1698), a prominent clergyman who served as the Rector of St. Mary's Church in Warwick for over three decades.

During the 18th century, the name spread further across England, with records showing Matneys residing in counties such as Lincolnshire and Yorkshire. A notable figure from this time was Captain John Matney (1732-1803), a naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the American Revolutionary War.

As the surname continued to disperse throughout the 19th century, it also began to appear in various parts of the British Empire, including North America, Australia, and New Zealand, carried by Matney emigrants seeking new opportunities abroad.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Matney

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

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

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

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