The Masterson surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 12,117 people carried this name — #2,961 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 24,300 people counted. That is up 4% from 11,673 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Masterson surname

As an English and Welsh surname

An early record he cites: Hugh fil. Magistri, Devon, 1273 — Hundred Rolls. Fil. is Latin for “son of”.

His entry covers Masters and Masterson.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 520 · public domain.

As a surname in the United Kingdom

Harrison classes it as an Anglo-French and Latin name: ‘the Master's Son’.

From Henry Harrison, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary, vol. II (London: The Morland Press, 1918), p. 16 · public domain.

In Ireland’s birth registers, 1890

Ireland registered 47 births for the Masterson name in 1890.

Most were registered in Leinster. By the Registrar-General’s own method — births multiplied by 44.38 — that is about 2,100 people bearing the name in Ireland at the time. The Registrar-General’s note on the name: “Dublin, Longford, and Cavan.”

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they were born, 1890

Leinster 31
Ulster 12
Connacht 4

Registrar-General for Ireland, «Special Report on Surnames in Ireland» (R. E. Matheson, 1894), births index of 1890 — public domain.

In the Nordic population registers

47 people named Masterson is counted in Sweden.

Sweden’s figure is from 31 December 2022, the last count Statistics Sweden published.

Counted, by country

Sweden (2022) 47

Own calculations based on data from Statistics Sweden (SCB), surnames with at least two bearers, 31 December 2022 — CC BY 4.0 (names with 20 or more bearers shown).

In Scotland’s registers today

Masterson was recorded 10 times in Scotland’s registers of births, marriages and deaths in 2025.

That made it the 1929th most common name in those registers, shared with others on the same count. In 1975, the first year of the series, the count was 20. Each birth counts the child’s surname, each marriage both partners’ and each death the surname of the person who died — a yearly count of registrations, not of the people who live in Scotland.

National Records of Scotland, «Most Common Surnames, 2025» (published 26 May 2026): every surname recorded 10 or more times in the 2025 registers, and the series from 1975 · different spellings are counted separately — © Crown copyright 2026. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

In print

Masterson in American newspapers,
1897–1904.

Newspaper page from The Anaconda Standard carrying the name Masterson
The Anaconda Standard 1897-12-19
Newspaper page from Ellsworth American carrying the name Masterson
Ellsworth American 1904-05-18
Newspaper page from St. Tammany Farmer carrying the name Masterson
St. Tammany Farmer 1904-06-25

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 35,221 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Masterson in Australian newspapers,
1840s–1980s.

4,733 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Masterson. The most, 1,415, date from the 1930s. New South Wales has the most articles, but weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, the name stands out most in Victoria, at 1.6 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 1,626
Queensland 1,514
Victoria 1,385
Western Australia 81
South Australia 71
Tasmania 30
ACT (Canberra) 21

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Masterson.

Who carried it

People named Masterson,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Mary Masterson d. 1856
  • Margaret Violet Masterson d. 2018
  • James Masterson 1705–
  • Edward Masterson 1730–1790
  • Nicholas Masterston 1744–1806 · merchant
  • Elizabeth Masterson 1744–1822

Wikidata (CC0) · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Masterson,
in the records of 6 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States2,804 records

2,804 records of the Masterson name in the United States
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 1,080
  • Passenger arrivals in the United States, 1820–1912 584
  • Other U.S. records 1,140
  1. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Robert Allen Masterson

    Born 1946; from Jefferson, Kentucky. U.S. Army, aircraft components repair apprentice; died of wounds 1966 in South Vietnam. Buried at Zachary Taylor National Cemetery, Kentucky.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record James H. Masterson

    Born 1920 in Missouri. Enlisted 1945 at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas; driver from Benton County. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1989, buried at Leavenworth National Cemetery, Kansas.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Kate Masterson

    Arrived at New York in 1892 aboard the Ethiopia from Glasgow, aged 19; servant. From Londonderry, Ireland; bound for New York.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)

Showing 3 of 2,804 records for Masterson in the United States.

Counts: NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain) · New York State, Open NY (police and firefighter memorial rolls). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Australia213 records

213 records of the Masterson name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 64
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 60
  • Other Australian records 89
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record Mary Masterson

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Hope, sailing from Dublin in 1842. Native of Cavan. Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1845. Married 1845 in Hobart, Tasmania.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Jas Masterson

    Arrived in Victoria in 1886 aboard the Orient, aged 26; English.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Patrick V. Masterson

    Salesman of Hamilton, Victoria; died 1958.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 213 records for Masterson in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0) · ACT Government, Transport Canberra and City Services (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain).

United Kingdom15 records

15 records of the Masterson name in the United Kingdom
  • Stirling Council burial records 9
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 6
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Hugh Masterson

    Died 1988, aged 65; buried at Bannockburn Cemetery, Stirling, Scotland.

    Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  2. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record W. Masterson

    Suffolk Regiment. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1917.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record James Masterson

    Died 1946, aged 51; buried at Bannockburn Cemetery, Stirling, Scotland.

    Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Showing 3 of 15 records for Masterson in the United Kingdom.

Counts: Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

Canada12 records

12 records of the Masterson name in Canada
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 5
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 3
  • Other Canadian records 4
  1. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Myrtle Clara Masterson

    Buried in 1973 at St. Mary's Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 68.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.
  2. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Paul Terry Masterson

    Died 1958 in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  3. A Canadian First World War grave register card for a soldier who died of wounds in 1917
    Example: Canadian war grave register, 1917
    War record James Craig Masterson

    Died in service in 1944.

    Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada.

Showing 3 of 12 records for Masterson in Canada.

Counts: Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Canadian First World War circumstances-of-death register (scan by Scottgraham87 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0).

Netherlands4 records

4 records of the Masterson name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 3
  • Dutch church registers before 1811 1
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Martha Masterson

    Married in 1808 in Vlissingen; born 1778 in Londres (Engleterre).

    Open Archives, Zeeuws Archief (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Eliseus Masterson

    Married in 1581 in Rotterdam.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Rotterdam (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Birth record Amelia Jane Masterson

    Born 1817 in Rotterdam.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Rotterdam (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 4 records for Masterson in the Netherlands.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

Ireland1 record

1 record of the Masterson name in Ireland County Galway graveyard records
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Jimmy Masterson

    Died 1997; buried at Kilcummin, Co. Galway.

    Galway County Council (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Galway County Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Masterson.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Masterson is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

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