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

Matter, 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 Matter surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Matter in America

Matter is the 11069th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Matter surname appeared 2,870 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Matter.

We can also compare 2010 data for Matter 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 Matter

The surname Matter originates from the Germanic region, specifically the areas of Germany and Switzerland, where it first emerged in the 12th century. The name is derived from the Old High German word "matar," which translates to "matter" or "substance," potentially indicating an occupation or trade involving materials or substances.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Matter surname can be found in the Codex Manesse, a renowned medieval German manuscript dating back to around 1300. This codex contained a collection of courtly love poems and illustrations, including references to individuals bearing the Matter name.

The Matter surname also appears in various historical documents and records across different regions of Germany and Switzerland. For instance, records from the city of Zürich mention a Rudolph Matter in 1357, while the Württembergisches Urkundenbuch (a collection of documents from Württemberg) references a Hans Matter in 1456.

Interestingly, the Matter surname has also been associated with certain place names, such as Mattern, a town in the Rhineland-Palatinate region of Germany. This suggests a possible connection between the surname and geographic locations, potentially indicating the origin or residence of early bearers of the name.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have carried the Matter surname. One such person was Johann Matter (1470-1530), a Swiss theologian and reformer who played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation in Zurich. Another prominent figure was Joachim Matter (1619-1677), a German composer and organist who served as the court Kapellmeister in Dresden.

Other notable individuals with the Matter surname include Friedrich Matter (1752-1832), a German jurist and politician who served as the mayor of Frankfurt am Main, and Johann Jakob Matter (1791-1866), a Swiss historian and philosopher who made significant contributions to the study of ancient philosophies and religions.

Additionally, the Matter surname has been associated with various branches and variations over time, such as Matern, Mattern, and Mater, reflecting regional linguistic differences and adaptations within the Germanic regions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Matter

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

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

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

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