MATTHEWS
Matthews is a surname of Hebrew origin that entered the British Isles in the medieval period. The name derives from the biblical Hebrew personal name Matityahu, meaning “gift of Yahweh” or “gift of God”. As a patronymic formation, it originally signified “son of Matthew”, the English form of the same Hebrew element.
The earliest attestations of the element appear in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is recorded in the Latin form Matthaeus and in the French spelling Mathieu. These early references, however, relate to clerical given names rather than surnames. The surname itself emerges in documentary evidence in the thirteenth century. An early instance is Alan Mathew, recorded in the Assize Rolls of Cambridge in 1260. Subsequent examples include John Mathows of Whitby (Yorkshire, 1395) and Hugh Mathewman in the 1379 poll‑tax rolls, also of Yorkshire. The suffix “‑s”, indicating “son of”, becomes regularised in the early fifteenth century, as illustrated by John Matheuson, a freeman of York in 1416.
The spread of the name throughout England is linked to the Norman Conquest of 1066, after which the name gained popularity. By the twelfth century returning Crusaders is said to have bestowed the name on a son in commemoration of their pilgrimage to the Holy Land, reinforcing its association with the Hebrew origin. The surname subsequently dispersed to other English‑speaking regions, notably to the New World in the early seventeenth century. Captain Samuell Matthews is recorded as an early settler in Virginia (February 1623), and Christopher Mathews married in London in 1642.
Today Matthews remains a common surname in England and throughout the Anglophone world, with a range of orthographic variants. Its enduring prevalence reflects both its biblical roots and its development as a distinct English patronymic surname.
Typical given names associated with the Matthews surname
Male
- Andrew
- Christopher
- David
- James
- John
- Michael
- Paul
- Peter
- Robert
- Stephen
Female
- Claire
- Elizabeth
- Helen
- Jane
- Julie
- Karen
- Lisa
- Margaret
- Mary
- Nicola
- Sarah
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
- Matthew
- Matheus
- Mathes
- Matheu
- Matheis
- Mathe
- Matheos
- Mathas
- Matheas
- Matthwes
- Mathens
- Mathew
- Mathewes
- Mathews
- Mathhews
- Mathies
- Mathieu
- Mathiews
- Mathis
- Mathoo
- Maths
- Mathu
- Mathue
- Mathues
- Mathus
- Mathuse
- Mathwes
- Mathys
- Mattes
- Mattews
- Matthais
- Matthas
- Matthaus
- Mattheas
- Matthee
- Matthees
- Mattheis
- Matthen
- Matthens
- Matthes
- Matthess
- Mattheus
- Matthewes
- Matthewson
- Matthey
- Mattheys
- Matthias
- Matthie
- Matthies
- Matthieu
- Matthis
- Matthouse
- Matthus
- Matthws
- Matthys
- Mattthews
- Maythew
- Methew
- Methews
- Metthews
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Matthews in...
Braille
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Morse
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Semaphore
Did you know?
According to a survey carried out by Democracy Club, politicians and candidates with the surname Matthews are most likely to say that their favourite biscuit is a Custard Cream.
There are approximately 70,014 people named Matthews in the UK. That makes it the 89th most common surname in Britain. Around 1,075 in a million people in Britain are named Matthews.
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
Famous people named Matthews
- Pauline Matthews - Pop singer
- Philippa Charlotte Matthews - Socialite, author, columnist, and the younger sister of Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge
- Darren Kenneth Matthews - Professional wrestler
- Stanley Matthews - Football player (1915 to 2000)
- James Matthews - Former professional racing driver, hedge fund manager, and heir to the Scottish title of Laird of Gl
- Cerys Matthews - Welsh singer-songwriter
- Iain Matthews - Musician and songwriter
- Francis Matthews - Actor (1927 to 2014)
- Donna Matthews - Musician
- Jessie Matthews - Actress, singer and dancer (1907 to 1981)
- Denise Katrina Matthews - Singer, songwriter, model, actress (1959 to 2016)
- Adam Matthews - Welsh football player
- Al Matthews - American actor and singer (1942 to 2018)
- Ian Matthews - Rock drummer
- Sally Ann Matthews - Actress
- Holly Matthews - Actress
- Remi Matthews - Football player
- Terry Matthews - Welsh-Canadian business magnate, serial high tech entrepreneur, and Wales' first billionaire
- David Matthews - Composer
- Tim Matthews - Actor
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.