Origins of the Matthews surname

What does the name Matthews mean?

The origin of the Matthews surname is thought to be England, where it is popular throughout the country and has spread throughout Britain. Matthews is a patronymic surname, given to those who are the son or descendant of someone named Matthew, a popular name throughout history across England.

Alternative variations of the name Matthews

Matthews, Matthew, Mathew, Mathews, Mathewes

Start free trial
“
I’ve managed to trace back to the mid-1500s! I can’t believe it! Utterly engrossing and I have uncovered some quite moving and heartbreaking stories attached to various ancestors. You don’t need any qualifications to start - just time patience, and some information.
SS
Stuart
Trustpilot logoTrustpilot 5 stars
1 of 3

Start your family tree

Trace your family back in time. Make new discoveries and see what other Findmypast family historians in our genealogy community have discovered about the Matthewses.

Sign up to get started

Delve deeper into the Matthews family's history

OrkneyShetlandHighlandsWestern IslesGrampianTaysideCentralStrathclydeFifeLothianBordersDumfriesNorth East 1011North West 769Isle of Man 30Yorkshire 1874East Midlands 644West Midlands 2151East 1576London 5754South East 2862South West 2907South Wales 1036Mid Wales 200West Wales 56North Wales 299Republic of IrelandNorthern Ireland

In 1921, most Matthewses lived in london

Census records trace your ancestors through each generation, so you can follow where your relatives lived through each decade.

46,000 Matthews Travel & migration records
290,000 Matthewses found in all Census records

Interesting facts about Matthews

How common is your surname?

100th most common surname in the UK

We have for the Matthews surname. The oldest one dates back to 1575.

Who were Matthewses most likely to marry?

Our tell us which families married Matthewses.

What are the most common Matthews first names?

John

William

Mary

Elizabeth

Our tell us the names of Matthews family members
Man with milk churns and census card collage
Census records provide incredible detail on names, ages, marital statuses, occupations and more.

Common jobs for Matthewses

Men and women often performed different types of jobs, so these are displayed by gender to maintain their historical accuracy.

Commmon female occupations for Matthewses in 1921

Dressmaker

1,469

Laundress

867

Domestic Servant

765

General Servant Domestic

762

Living On Own Means

554

Commmon male occupations for Matthewses in 1921

Agricultural Labourer

1,198

General Labourer

1,167

Carpenter

898

Farm Labourer

872

Farmer

864

We found over 430,000 family trees with the Matthews surname

Trace your family back in time and see what other Findmypast family historians in our genealogy community have discovered about the Matthewses.

Search for a relative in our family trees

Learn more about the lives of Matthews family members

How rare is your surname?

Have you ever wondered if your family na...

The rise and fall of these disappearing British surnames

Could your surname be on the brink of di...

English surnames explained: The seven types of last names you should know

Ever wondered where our last names come...

How to find the maiden names of women in your family tree

Try these simple tricks to pinpoint your...

4 simple steps to starting your family history journey

Starting your family history journey is...

Share your discoveries

Share to WhatsApp

Share to Facebook

Look for a different surname

Paper tear line

Find out more about your family in our records

    or try an advanced search