2000
#12,233
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,335
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.87
Rare Last name
Matthias
A variant of the Biblical name Matthew, meaning "gift of Yahweh" in Hebrew.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,852 Americans carry the last name Matthias. That puts it at #11,996 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.83 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 120,180 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Matthias 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 Matthias with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.9K
1 in 120,180
Census rank
#11,996
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,487 bearers of the surname Matthias in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.83 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11996th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Matthias, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.2%. The next largest groups are Black (18.1%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Matthias
The surname Matthias is derived from the Hebrew name Mattathiah, which means "gift of God." The name has its origins in ancient Israel, and it was later adopted by early Christians as a personal name.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname Matthias can be found in medieval European records, particularly in Germany and the surrounding regions. It is believed that the name was introduced to these areas by early Christian missionaries and travelers.
One of the earliest known references to the surname Matthias is found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of medieval documents from Saxony, which dates back to the 12th century. In this codex, there are mentions of individuals with the surname Matthias, indicating its use in the region during that time period.
Another notable historical reference is the appearance of the name in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landowners and property commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The Domesday Book includes entries for individuals with the surname Matthias, suggesting its presence in England during the Norman period.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Matthias was Johannes Matthias (c. 1290-1349), a German theologian and philosopher who was a prominent figure in the scholastic tradition. Another notable bearer of the name was Annius Matthias (1483-1558), a Dutch humanist scholar and historian who authored several works on ancient Roman history.
In the 16th century, Matthias Grünewald (c. 1470-1528), a renowned German Renaissance painter, became famous for his masterpiece, the Isenheim Altarpiece. His distinctive style and use of vivid colors influenced generations of artists.
During the 17th century, Matthias Buchinger (1674-1739), a German artist and calligrapher, gained recognition for his exceptional calligraphy skills despite being born without hands or feet. His intricate works were highly sought after by European aristocracy.
In the 19th century, Matthias Jakob Schleiden (1804-1881), a German botanist, made significant contributions to the field of plant anatomy and is credited with developing the cell theory, which laid the foundation for modern cell biology.
These are just a few examples of individuals who have carried the surname Matthias throughout history, each leaving their mark in various fields and contributing to the rich cultural tapestry associated with this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Matthias
Among Census respondents with the surname Matthias, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.2%. The next largest groups are Black (18.1%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Matthias 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 Matthias surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White73.2% · 1,820
- Black or African American18.1% · 451
- Two or more races3.6% · 89
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.4% · 59
- Hispanic or Latino2.3% · 58
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 10
Timeline
Historical Census data for Matthias
Matthias 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
#12,174
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,560
+225 bearers (+9.6%)
Per 100,000 0.87
Rank movement Up 59 places
2020
#11,996
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,487
-73 bearers (-2.9%)
Per 100,000 0.83
Rank movement Up 178 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,233 | 2,335 | 0.87 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,174 | 2,560 | 0.87 | +225 bearers (+9.6%) | Up 59 places |
| 2020 | #11,996 | 2,487 | 0.83 | -73 bearers (-2.9%) | Up 178 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 Matthias 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 | #12,174 | #11,996 | 1.5% |
| Count | 2,560 | 2,487 | -2.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.87 | 0.83 | -4.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Matthias bearers went from 2,560 to 2,487 (-2.9% change). The surname moved up 178 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,174 to #11,996.
FAQ
Matthias surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Matthias?
Name Census estimates that about 2,852 living Americans carry the surname Matthias. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 120,180 residents.
How common is Matthias?
Matthias ranks #11,996 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.83 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,487 people with the surname Matthias. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,852), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.83 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.83 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Matthias.
Has Matthias become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Matthias went from 2,560 recorded bearers to 2,487. That is a decrease of 73 (-2.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #12,174 to #11,996.
What does the Census say about the background of Matthias?
Among Census respondents with the surname Matthias, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.2%. The next largest groups are Black (18.1%) and Two or More Races (3.6%). 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 Matthias in the 2020 Census, accounting for 73.2% (1,820 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Matthias appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (73.2%), Black (18.1%), Two or More Races (3.6%). 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 Matthias (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 Matthias mean?
A variant of the Biblical name Matthew, meaning "gift of Yahweh" in Hebrew. 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 Matthias (0.83 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 are called Matthias?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how common the surname Matthias is at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.