2000
#1,968
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 16,819
First available Census row
Per 100,000 6.23
Uncommon Last name
Matos
A surname of Spanish and Portuguese origin, derived from the word "mato," meaning "thicket, brush, or scrubland."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 26,243 Americans carry the last name Matos. That puts it at #1,520 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 7.66 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 13,061 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Matos 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 Matos with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
26K
1 in 13,061
Census rank
#1,520
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
7.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
23K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 22,885 bearers of the surname Matos in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 7.66 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1520th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Matos, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 81.4%. The next largest groups are White (15.8%) and Black (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Matos
The surname Matos originated in Portugal, with its earliest recorded use dating back to the late 15th century. It is believed to be derived from the Latin word "mattus," meaning "insane" or "foolish," suggesting that it may have been initially used as a nickname for someone perceived as eccentric or unconventional.
One of the earliest known references to the Matos surname can be found in a Portuguese census record from 1497, where a certain João de Matos is listed as a resident of Lisbon. This suggests that the name was already established in the region during the late medieval period.
In the 16th century, the Matos surname began to spread across the Portuguese empire, with notable individuals bearing the name appearing in various parts of the world. One such person was Gaspar de Matos, a Portuguese explorer and navigator who participated in the conquest of Brazil in the early 1500s.
As Portugal's influence expanded, the Matos surname also found its way to other parts of the world, including Africa and Asia. In the 17th century, a Portuguese soldier named Manuel de Matos served as the governor of the Portuguese colony of Mozambique in East Africa.
The Matos surname has also been historically associated with various place names in Portugal. For example, the village of Matos in the northern region of Portugal likely derives its name from the surname itself, suggesting that it may have been a settlement established by individuals bearing the Matos name.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the Matos surname. These include:
1. Gregório de Matos (1636-1696), a Brazilian poet and satirist known for his biting criticism of colonial society and the Portuguese aristocracy.
2. José Vieira Couto de Matos (1782-1839), a Portuguese military officer who served as the governor of Macau from 1831 to 1839.
3. Andrés Matos (1923-2003), a Cuban painter and sculptor renowned for his abstract expressionist works.
4. Gilberto Matos (1929-2014), a Brazilian composer and guitarist who played a significant role in the development of bossa nova music.
5. Luiz Eduardo Matos (born 1953), a Brazilian journalist and writer who has authored several books on Brazilian history and culture.
While the Matos surname may have had humble beginnings as a nickname, it has since become a respected and widely recognized name, reflecting the diverse and far-reaching influence of Portuguese culture and exploration throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Matos
Among Census respondents with the surname Matos, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 81.4%. The next largest groups are White (15.8%) and Black (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Matos 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 Matos surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino81.4% · 18,631
- White15.8% · 3,610
- Black or African American1.7% · 400
- Two or more races0.5% · 117
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 106
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 21
Timeline
Historical Census data for Matos
Matos 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
#1,696
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 21,258
+4,439 bearers (+26.4%)
Per 100,000 7.21
Rank movement Up 272 places
2020
#1,520
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 22,885
+1,627 bearers (+7.7%)
Per 100,000 7.66
Rank movement Up 176 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,968 | 16,819 | 6.23 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,696 | 21,258 | 7.21 | +4,439 bearers (+26.4%) | Up 272 places |
| 2020 | #1,520 | 22,885 | 7.66 | +1,627 bearers (+7.7%) | Up 176 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 Matos 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 | #1,696 | #1,520 | 10.4% |
| Count | 21,258 | 22,885 | 7.7% |
| Per 100K | 7.21 | 7.66 | 6.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Matos bearers went from 21,258 to 22,885 (+7.7% change). The surname moved up 176 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,696 to #1,520.
FAQ
Matos surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Matos?
Name Census estimates that about 26,243 living Americans carry the surname Matos. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 13,061 residents.
How common is Matos?
Matos ranks #1,520 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 7.66 per 100,000 residents, which is about 8 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 22,885 people with the surname Matos. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (26,243), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 7.66 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 7.66 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 8 of them to have the surname Matos.
Has Matos become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Matos went from 21,258 recorded bearers to 22,885. That is an increase of 1,627 (+7.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #1,696 to #1,520.
What does the Census say about the background of Matos?
Among Census respondents with the surname Matos, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 81.4%. The next largest groups are White (15.8%) and Black (1.7%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Matos in the 2020 Census, accounting for 81.4% (18,631 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Matos appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (81.4%), White (15.8%), Black (1.7%). 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 Matos (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 Matos mean?
A surname of Spanish and Portuguese origin, derived from the word "mato," meaning "thicket, brush, or scrubland." 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 Matos (7.66 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 Americans have the surname Matos?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.