Matthews Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Matthews last name means, where the surname began and where it was first recorded.
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Meaning and origin of the Matthews last name
Meaning of the Matthews last name: son of Matthew ("gift of God"). Matthews is a patronymic, "son of Matthew", from the Hebrew name meaning "gift of God", borne by the apostle and evangelist. Matthew was well known in medieval England, and in Wales, where fixed surnames came late, it became one of the common patronymic names. Matthews is most frequent in south Wales and the west of England. Medieval English records give the name as Mathew, Mahew and Mayhew, the last from the Norman French form of the name. The Hebrew original, Mattityahu, was brought into Western use through the Latin Bible as Matthaeus. Welsh patronymic custom, in which a man was known as ap Mathew, "son of Mathew", gradually gave way to English-style surnames between the 16th and 18th centuries, and the -s ending is characteristic of this change. The name is also common in Cornwall and the Midlands. It spread early to Virginia and the Carolinas.
Our historical archives hold much more on the Matthews name: dates, names and records of early bearers.
This overview covers the Matthews name in Wales & England. We also hold records of the name in other countries, such as the United States, Australia and Canada; your full pack is researched for your family's country of origin.
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Matthews name FAQ
What does the Matthews name mean?
Son of Matthew ("gift of God"). Common variants include Mathews, Matthewson, Mathias.
Where does the Matthews surname come from?
It originates in Wales & England, and is also found in the United States, Australia and Canada.
Is there a Matthews coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals, not whole surnames, so there is no single Matthews crest. Herald Lab paints a personalized Matthews coat of arms based on historic heraldry.
Researched by Herald Lab Research Studio, since 1993. Sources: Reaney & Wilson, Dictionary of English Surnames; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford); US Census Bureau 2010.