2000
#7,281
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,221
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.56
Rare Last name
Matta
An Italian occupational surname referring to a person who makes or sells mats or rugs.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,976 Americans carry the last name Matta. That puts it at #6,284 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.74 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 57,355 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Matta 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 Matta with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
6.0K
1 in 57,355
Census rank
#6,284
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,211 bearers of the surname Matta in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.74 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6284th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Matta, the largest self-reported group is White at 45.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (40.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (11.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Matta
The surname Matta has its origins in Italy, with records dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Italian word "matto," meaning "mad" or "foolish," and may have been used as a nickname or descriptive name for someone who was considered eccentric or unconventional.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in a document from the city of Genoa, dated 1185, which mentions a person named Guglielmo Matta. Another early reference is in a manuscript from the town of Orvieto in Umbria, from around 1230, where a certain Matteo Matta is listed among the local residents.
During the medieval period, the Matta name was particularly prevalent in the regions of Liguria, Tuscany, and Umbria. It is possible that the name may have originated from a place name, as there are several small villages in Italy with similar names, such as Mattarello in the province of Trento, and Mattarana in the province of Cosenza.
In the 14th century, a notable figure bearing the Matta name was Francesco Matta, a renowned painter from Siena who was active between 1350 and 1380. His works can still be found in various churches and museums across Tuscany.
Another famous individual with the Matta surname was Giulio Matta, a Venetian artist and engraver who lived from 1550 to 1616. He is best known for his intricate etchings and engravings, many of which depicted religious scenes and mythological subjects.
During the Renaissance period, the Matta family also produced several scholars and intellectuals, including Giovanni Battista Matta, a mathematician and astronomer from Genoa who lived from 1572 to 1644. He is credited with making significant contributions to the field of optics and for his work on the theory of refraction.
In the 18th century, a notable figure was Benedetto Matta, a composer and violinist from Naples who lived from 1705 to 1778. He gained recognition for his instrumental works, particularly his violin concertos, which were widely performed throughout Europe during his lifetime.
As the Matta surname spread across Italy and beyond, variations in spelling emerged, such as Matti, Mattei, and Mattia. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and traditions, further enriching the history and diversity of this Italian surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Matta
Among Census respondents with the surname Matta, the largest self-reported group is White at 45.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (40.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (11.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Matta 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 Matta surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White45.1% · 2,350
- Hispanic or Latino40.6% · 2,117
- Asian and Pacific Islander11.2% · 586
- Two or more races1.5% · 80
- Black or African American0.9% · 48
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 30
Timeline
Historical Census data for Matta
Matta 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
#6,111
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,610
+1,389 bearers (+32.9%)
Per 100,000 1.90
Rank movement Up 1,170 places
2020
#6,284
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,211
-399 bearers (-7.1%)
Per 100,000 1.74
Rank movement Down 173 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,281 | 4,221 | 1.56 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,111 | 5,610 | 1.90 | +1,389 bearers (+32.9%) | Up 1,170 places |
| 2020 | #6,284 | 5,211 | 1.74 | -399 bearers (-7.1%) | Down 173 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 Matta 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 | #6,111 | #6,284 | -2.8% |
| Count | 5,610 | 5,211 | -7.1% |
| Per 100K | 1.90 | 1.74 | -8.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Matta bearers went from 5,610 to 5,211 (-7.1% change). The surname moved down 173 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,111 to #6,284.
FAQ
Matta surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Matta?
Name Census estimates that about 5,976 living Americans carry the surname Matta. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 57,355 residents.
How common is Matta?
Matta ranks #6,284 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.74 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 5,211 people with the surname Matta. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,976), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.74 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.74 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 Matta.
Has Matta become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Matta went from 5,610 recorded bearers to 5,211. That is a decrease of 399 (-7.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,111 to #6,284.
What does the Census say about the background of Matta?
Among Census respondents with the surname Matta, the largest self-reported group is White at 45.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (40.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (11.2%). 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 Matta in the 2020 Census, accounting for 45.1% (2,350 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Matta appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (45.1%), Hispanic (40.6%), Asian/Pacific Islander (11.2%). 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 Matta (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 Matta mean?
An Italian occupational surname referring to a person who makes or sells mats or rugs. 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 Matta (1.74 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 Matta?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the last name Matta at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.