MATTHIAS
The surname Matthias is a patronymic family name that can be traced back to the Hebrew personal name Mattityahu, which translates literally as "gift of Yahweh". The name entered Christian Europe through its biblical association with the apostle chosen to replace Judas Iscariot in the New Testament, imbuing the surname with a connotation of divine favour and blessing.
In early medieval England the name entered the language through Norman influence, often recorded as Mathieu or Mahieu. The 1086 Domesday Book lists the personal name as Mathiu and Matheus, while the name was later adopted as a surname in the form Mathew or Mathews in England and Wales. The connection to the apostle gave the surname an association with loyalty and steadfastness, qualities highly regarded in the Christian community.
The first incontrovertible spelling of the family name appears in the Cambridgeshire Assize Rolls of 1260, where an individual known as Alan Mathew is recorded as a witness. This early evidence places the surname squarely in the English record by the early thirteenth century, several decades after the Norman conquest.
Variants of the surname are common in several European languages. In German the name has several forms including Mathias, Mathaus, Mathis, and Mattias, while in Dutch usage one may find Mattheus and Matthaeus. In Spanish and Portuguese speaking areas the name appears as MatÃas or Matheus, and in Italian as Mattia. Each of these spellings retains the original Hebrew meaning while adapting to local orthographic conventions.
Contemporary statistics show that the surname is most common in Germany, where in 2020 approximately 166,000 people bore the name, making it the sixteenth most popular surname in that country. The name also maintains a presence in the Czech Republic, Austria, Hungary, and in the Iberian and Latin American region under its Spanish and Portuguese variants. In the United States the surname is relatively uncommon, with about 11,000 bearers recorded in the 2020 Census, the highest concentrations being in California, New York, Texas, Florida, and Minnesota. Canadian records point to a presence in Ontario, Quebec, and British Columbia.
In all its forms, the surname Matthias functions as a reminder of family values and faith, embodying the biblical notion of a gift bestowed by God. It has spread across many cultures while preserving its original semantic heritage and the reverence attached to the apostolic figure who bears the name.
Typical given names associated with the Matthias surname
Male
- Andrew
- Anthony
- Caesar
- Christopher
- David
- Duncan
- James
- John
- Michael
- Paul
- Philip
- Richard
Female
- Alison
- Caroline
- Catherine
- Elizabeth
- Irrum
- Jacqueline
- Janet
- Jennifer
- Lisa
- Margaret
- Michelle
- Nicola
- Samantha
- Sarah
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
- Mathia
- Mathas
- Mathes
- Matheis
- Mathian
- Mathi
- Matthais
- Matthia
- Mathias
- Mathies
- Mathiews
- Mathis
- Mathiss
- Mathius
- Mathys
- Matias
- Matthaei
- Matthas
- Mattheas
- Mattheis
- Matthes
- Mattheys
- Matthiae
- Matthie
- Matthies
- Matthijs
- Matthis
- Matthus
- Matthws
- Matthys
- Mattias
- Mathais
- Matheas
- Mathiasen
- Mathiason
- Mathie
- Mathiu
- Mathiya
- Maths
- Matthai
- Matthaus
- Matthees
- Mattheus
- Matthews
- Matthey
- Matthiasson
- Matthy
- Mattia
- Mattthews
- Mettias
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Matthias in...
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There are approximately 1,130 people named Matthias in the UK. That makes it roughly the 6,716th most common surname in Britain. Around 17 in a million people in Britain are named Matthias.
Surname type: From given name or forename
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Matthias
- Eric Matthias - Athletics competitor
- Tommy Matthias - Football player
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.