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

Mattos, 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 Mattos surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Mattos in America

Mattos is the 7785th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Mattos surname appeared 4,260 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 Mattos.

We can also compare 2010 data for Mattos 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 Mattos

The surname Mattos has its origins in Portugal, where it first emerged in the 12th century. It is derived from the Latin word "mattus," meaning "dull" or "foolish," suggesting that the name may have been initially applied as a nickname to someone perceived as lacking intelligence or being simple-minded.

In its early years, the name was primarily concentrated in the northern regions of Portugal, particularly in the areas around Porto and Braga. Historical documents from this period, such as parish records and property deeds, often feature variations of the spelling, including "Matos," "Mathos," and "Matthos."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Portuguese version of the Libro de las Bestias, a medieval bestiary dating back to the 13th century. This manuscript mentions a "João Mattos" as one of the scribes responsible for its transcription.

As the name spread throughout Portugal, it became associated with several notable individuals. One such figure was Fernão Mattos, a 15th-century navigator and explorer who accompanied Vasco da Gama on his historic voyage to India in 1498.

In the 16th century, the Mattos family gained prominence in the Portuguese city of Évora, where they established themselves as landowners and influential citizens. One member, António de Mattos (1540-1612), served as a magistrate and played a significant role in the city's governance.

During the 17th century, the name crossed the Atlantic with Portuguese settlers and colonists, taking root in Brazil. One of the earliest recorded Mattos in the Americas was Pedro de Mattos (1615-1687), a Portuguese soldier and administrator who served as the governor of Rio de Janeiro from 1679 to 1682.

As the centuries passed, the Mattos name continued to spread globally, with individuals bearing the surname making their mark in various fields. Notable examples include José Ferreira Mattos (1804-1875), a Brazilian writer and journalist renowned for his contributions to the country's literary canon, and Manuel de Mattos (1866-1934), a Portuguese military officer and politician who served as the Prime Minister of Portugal from 1923 to 1925.

While the origins of the surname Mattos can be traced back to medieval Portugal, it has since become a widely dispersed name, found in communities across the globe, particularly in regions with strong Portuguese and Brazilian cultural influences.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Mattos

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

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

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

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