MATSON
Matson is an English surname of patronymic origin, indicating a person who is the son of Matthew. The prevailing historical evidence places its emergence within the British Isles, specifically England, where the language is English and the predominant religion historically has been Christianity.
The root of the surname lies in the given name Matthew, which itself is derived from the Hebrew Matiyahu, meaning “gift of Yahweh”. This semantic lineage explains the traditional interpretation of the surname as denoting the child of a man named Matthew, or more broadly, a descendant of a family associated with that name. The patronymic convention was common in medieval England and served to identify individuals by family connections rather than by a fixed surname, a practice that evolved into the modern family name Matson.
Historical records first introduce the name Mathew in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is recorded in Latin form as Matthaeus. After the Norman Conquest of 1066, the name spread throughout England, gaining popularity as a personal name. This widespread use eventually led to the development of several patronymic surnames, including Mattson, Matthews, Matts, and Matson.
The earliest documented instance of the surname in England appears in the Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire for the year 1379. The file records a man named Thomas Mateson, whose name is likely an early variant of the later spelling Matson. This entry falls within the reign of King Richard I, also known as Richard of Bordeaux, who ruled from 1377 until 1399.
In addition to the 1379 record, the name appears on 31 July 1608 in the parish register of St. Botolph-without-Aldgate, where a christening titled Anne Matson is documented. This evidence demonstrates the surname’s continued use into the early modern period, indicating that it had become firmly established as a family name by the 17th century.
Over the centuries, the surname Matson has remained a distinct and identifiable English surname. Its formation follows the typical pattern of adding the suffix -son to a personal name to indicate filial relationship, a practice that was widespread in the medieval period and which has left a lasting legacy within English onomastics.
Typical given names associated with the Matson surname
Male
- Alan
- Andrew
- Christopher
- Daniel
- David
- James
- John
- Michael
- Paul
- Peter
- Richard
- Stephen
Female
- Anne
- Christine
- Clare
- Emma
- Joanna
- Julie
- Louise
- Margaret
- Mary
- Samantha
- Sarah
- Susan
- Victoria
Similar and related surnames
- Matheson
- Madson
- Mateson
- Maston
- Madason
- Maddeson
- Maddieson
- Maddison
- Maddisson
- Maddson
- Madeson
- Madison
- Madisson
- Madsen
- Matassini
- Matassoni
- Mathason
- Matheison
- Mathewson
- Mathieson
- Mathison
- Mathisson
- Mathson
- Mathuson
- Matieson
- Mation
- Matison
- Matisonn
- Matisons
- Maton
- Matsen
- Matsin
- Matsson
- Matsuno
- Matsuo
- Mattesen
- Matteson
- Mattewson
- Mattheson
- Matthison
- Mattieson
- Mattison
- Mattisson
- Mattson
- Mattsson
- Matzen
- Matzon
- Maudson
- Mayetson
- Meddison
- Medesan
- Medicine
- Medson
- Metsen
- Metso
- Metson
- Midson
- Mitsin
- Mitson
- Motson
- Mudson
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Matson in...
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Morse
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There are approximately 1,040 people named Matson in the UK. That makes it roughly the 7,150th most common surname in Britain. Around 16 in a million people in Britain are named Matson.
Surname type: From name of parent
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
