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

Matthews, 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 Matthews surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Matthews in America

Matthews is the 226th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Matthews surname appeared 131,303 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 45 people would have the surname Matthews.

We can also compare 2010 data for Matthews 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 Matthews

The surname Matthews has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is a patronymic name derived from the personal name Matthew, which is derived from the Hebrew name Mattityahu, meaning "gift of God." The name was popularized by the apostle Matthew, one of the twelve disciples of Jesus Christ.

Matthews is an English variant of the name, with the addition of the possessive "s" indicating "son of Matthew." In medieval England, it was common for surnames to be derived from a person's given name, with the addition of a prefix or suffix to indicate their lineage or relationship.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Matthews can be found in various historical records from the 13th century onwards. One notable example is the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which lists a William Matheu in Cambridgeshire. The Domesday Book, compiled in 1086, does not contain the surname Matthews, but it does include entries for individuals with the given name Matthew.

During the Middle Ages, the surname Matthews was primarily concentrated in the counties of Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, and Worcestershire in the West Midlands region of England. However, it eventually spread to other parts of the country as people migrated and settled in new areas.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Matthews was John Matthews, who was born in Worcestershire around 1490. He was a prominent figure in the English Reformation and served as the Archbishop of York from 1545 until his death in 1551.

Another notable bearer of the surname was Sir Tobie Matthews (1577-1628), an English courtier, and author who served as a diplomat for King James I. He was known for his work in promoting the English Renaissance and his writings on religion and philosophy.

In the 17th century, Thomas Matthews (1631-1683) was a Welsh-born Anglican priest who served as the Bishop of Gloucester from 1675 until his death. He was known for his support of the Church of England and his efforts in promoting education.

During the 18th century, Henry Matthews (1710-1797) was a British politician and judge who served as the Lord Chancellor of Great Britain from 1770 to 1801. He played a significant role in the development of English law and is remembered for his legal reforms.

In the 19th century, Brander Matthews (1852-1929) was an American writer, critic, and professor of dramatic literature. He was a prominent figure in the literary circles of his time and authored several works on literature and drama.

These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who bore the surname Matthews, which has its roots in medieval England and has since spread to various parts of the world.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Matthews

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

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

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

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