The "Matthews" Patronymic Surname Meaning and Origin

Matthews is a patronymic surname meaning basically "son of Matthew." The given name Matthew, from which it is derived, means "gift of Yahweh" or "gift of God," from the Hebrew personal name Matityahu. In Hebrew, the name was also known as 'Mattathaigh' which translates to the "gift of Jehovah." Mathis is the German version of the surname while Matthews with a double "t" is more popular in Wales.

Facts About the Surname

• The name Matthew was one of Jesus's apostles as well as the author of the first Gospel in the New Testament.
• Popular modern-day celebrities with the last name Matthews include Dave Matthews (musician), Cerys Matthews (Welsh singer) and Darren Matthews (professional wrestler).
• Thousands of settlers, some of which included the family surname Matthews, migrated to North America in order to escape political and religious issues from their homeland.
• The earliest public record of lands and resource of the late 11th century England is known as the Domesday Book (1086), which includes the first origin of the surname Matthews in the form of Mathiu and Matheus.
• The surname has origins in English and Greek and has over 10 alternate surname followings.

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MARTIN Surname Meaning and Origin

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Alternate Surname Spellings

• Mathew
• Mathews
• Matthew
• Mathis
• Matthis
• Matthias
• Matheu (Old French)
• Mateo (Spanish)
• Matteo (Italian)
• Mateus (Portuguese)

Genealogy Resources

• Common Surname Search Tips
  Tips and tricks for researching your Matthews ancestors online.
• Matthews Family Genealogy Forum
  The free message board is focused on descendants of Matthews ancestors around the world.
• FamilySearch - Matthews Genealogy
  Find records, queries, and lineage-linked family trees posted for the Matthews surname.
• Matthews Surname Mailing List
  A free mailing list for researchers of the Matthews surname and its variations includes subscription details and searchable archives of past messages.
• Surname Finder - Matthews Genealogy & Family Resources
  Find links to free and commercial resources for the Matthews surname.
• Cousin Connect - Matthews Genealogy Queries
  Read or post genealogy queries for the surname Matthews, and sign up for free notification when new Matthews queries are added.
• DistantCousin.com - Matthews Genealogy & Family History
  Free databases and genealogy links for the last name Matthews.
• MyCinnamonToast.com - Matthews Genealogy in All Regions
  Centralized search results for family trees and other genealogy info on the Matthews surname.

References: Surname Meanings and Origins

• Cottle, Basil. Penguin Dictionary of Surnames. Baltimore, MD: Penguin Books, 1967.
• Dorward, David. Scottish Surnames. Collins Celtic (Pocket edition), 1998.
• Fucilla, Joseph. Our Italian Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 2003.
• Hanks, Patrick and Flavia Hodges. A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1989.
• Hanks, Patrick. Dictionary of American Family Names. Oxford University Press, 2003.
• Reaney, P.H. A Dictionary of English Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1997.
• Smith, Elsdon C. American Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 1997.