2000
#4,667
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,949
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.58
Rare Last name
Matteson
An English toponymic surname derived from places named Mattishall or Mattison, meaning "Matthew's town" or "Matthew's son."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 7,821 Americans carry the last name Matteson. That puts it at #4,987 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.28 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 43,825 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Matteson 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.
Bearers in the US
7.8K
1 in 43,825
Census rank
#4,987
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,820 bearers of the surname Matteson in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.28 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4987th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Matteson, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Hispanic (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Matteson
The surname Matteson has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to have originated as a patronymic name, derived from the personal name Matthew, which itself has Hebrew roots meaning "gift of God." The surname likely emerged in the 12th or 13th century as a way to distinguish individuals by their father's name, with "son" being added to Matthew.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Matteson surname can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which documented the landowners of the time. This record mentions a Robert Mattheuson residing in Oxfordshire. The name also appears in various tax and court records from the 14th and 15th centuries, with variations in spelling such as Mathewson, Matheson, and Matthewson.
The Matteson surname has been associated with several notable historical figures. One such individual was John Matteson, a prominent merchant and landowner who lived in London during the 16th century. Records show that he was actively involved in trade with the Netherlands and amassed a considerable fortune.
Another notable bearer of the Matteson name was William Matteson, a Puritan minister who emigrated from England to Massachusetts in the 1630s. He played a significant role in the establishment of the town of Ipswich and served as a pastor for several congregations in the area.
In the 18th century, a man named Thomas Matteson gained recognition as a skilled clockmaker in the city of Bristol, England. His intricate timepieces were highly sought after and can still be found in various museums and private collections today.
Moving into the 19th century, the name Matteson is associated with Sarah Matteson Griffitts, an American pioneer and diarist who documented her family's journey across the Oregon Trail in the 1840s. Her written accounts provide valuable insights into the challenges faced by early settlers in the American West.
Another notable figure was John Matteson, a Union Army officer during the American Civil War. Born in 1835, he fought in several major battles, including the Battle of Gettysburg, and rose to the rank of Brigadier General before his death in 1898.
While the Matteson surname has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including the United States, Canada, and Australia, as a result of migration and immigration patterns over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Matteson
Among Census respondents with the surname Matteson, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Hispanic (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Matteson 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 Matteson surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.6% · 6,246
- Two or more races3.4% · 230
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 203
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 67
- Black or African American0.7% · 47
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 27
Timeline
Historical Census data for Matteson
Matteson 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
#4,919
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,148
+199 bearers (+2.9%)
Per 100,000 2.42
Rank movement Down 252 places
2020
#4,987
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,820
-328 bearers (-4.6%)
Per 100,000 2.28
Rank movement Down 68 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,667 | 6,949 | 2.58 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,919 | 7,148 | 2.42 | +199 bearers (+2.9%) | Down 252 places |
| 2020 | #4,987 | 6,820 | 2.28 | -328 bearers (-4.6%) | Down 68 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 Matteson 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 | #4,919 | #4,987 | -1.4% |
| Count | 7,148 | 6,820 | -4.6% |
| Per 100K | 2.42 | 2.28 | -5.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Matteson bearers went from 7,148 to 6,820 (-4.6% change). The surname moved down 68 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,919 to #4,987.
FAQ
Matteson surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Matteson?
Name Census estimates that about 7,821 living Americans carry the surname Matteson. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 43,825 residents.
How common is Matteson?
Matteson ranks #4,987 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.28 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 6,820 people with the surname Matteson. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (7,821), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.28 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.28 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 Matteson.
Has Matteson become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Matteson went from 7,148 recorded bearers to 6,820. That is a decrease of 328 (-4.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,919 to #4,987.
What does the Census say about the background of Matteson?
Among Census respondents with the surname Matteson, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Hispanic (3.0%). 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 Matteson in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.6% (6,246 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Matteson appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.6%), Two or More Races (3.4%), Hispanic (3.0%). 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 Matteson (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 Matteson mean?
An English toponymic surname derived from places named Mattishall or Mattison, meaning "Matthew's town" or "Matthew's son." 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 Matteson (2.28 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 Matteson?
You can see how many people have the last name Matteson on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.