The Mathers surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 3,860 people carried this name — #8,526 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 76,300 people counted. That is up 4% from 3,724 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Mathers surname

Patronymic from Mather.

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Mathers» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

In Ireland’s birth registers, 1890

Ireland registered 9 births for the Mathers name in 1890.

Most were registered in Ulster. By the Registrar-General’s own method — births multiplied by 44.38 — that is about 400 people bearing the name in Ireland at the time. The Registrar-General’s note on the name: “Armagh.”

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

Where they were born, 1890

Ulster 7
Leinster 1
Munster 1

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

In Scotland’s registers today

Mathers was recorded 25 times in Scotland’s registers of births, marriages and deaths in 2025.

That made it the 962nd most common name in those registers, shared with others on the same count. In 1975, the first year of the series, the count was 27. 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

Mathers in American newspapers,
1823–1912.

Newspaper page from The Arkansas Gazette carrying the name Mathers
The Arkansas Gazette 1823-10-11
Newspaper page from Americus Times-recorder carrying the name Mathers
Americus Times-recorder 1912-02-06
Newspaper page from Bisbee Daily Review carrying the name Mathers
Bisbee Daily Review 1912-07-25

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 184,721 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Mathers in Australian newspapers,
1830s–2000s.

16,782 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Mathers. The most, 3,353, 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 Western Australia, at 1.3 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 5,777
Victoria 3,692
Queensland 3,488
Western Australia 1,936
Tasmania 1,023
South Australia 784
ACT (Canberra) 32
Northern Territory 28

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

Who carried it

People named Mathers,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Edward Peter Mathers
    Edward Peter Mathers 1850–1924 · journalist
  • James Mathers
    James Mathers 1854–1911
  • Moina Mathers
    Moina Mathers 1865–1928 · artist
  • Moina Mathers
    Moina Mathers 1865–1928 · artist
  • Susan Mathers d. 1928
  • Joshua Mather 1825–1893

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Mathers,
in the records of 5 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 States516 records

516 records of the Mathers name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 148
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 97
  • Other U.S. records 271
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Robert S. Mathers

    Born 1911 in California. Enlisted 1942 at Sacramento; manager. U.S. Army Air Forces veteran of World War II; died 1988, buried at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery, California.

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

    Arrived at New York in 1853 aboard the Orion from Bremen, aged 28; farmer. From Michlbach, Germany; bound for Albany.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)
  3. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Leonard John Mathers

    Born 1931; from Chautauqua County, New York. U.S. Army, light weapons infantry leader; declared dead 1950 in North Korea.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain)

Showing 3 of 516 records for Mathers in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · 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. 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 · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain).

Australia476 records

476 records of the Mathers name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 207
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 94
  • Other Australian records 175
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Arthur George Mathers

    Born 1860 in Hobart, Tasmania. Married 1886 in Hobart, Tasmania, aged 25. Died 1924 in Tasmania, aged 64.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Donald Andrew Mathers

    Born 1897 in Hobart, Tasmania. Died 1928 in Tasmania, aged 30.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  3. 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 Richard Mathers

    Transported to New South Wales aboard the Roslin Castle, arriving 1834; ticket of leave 1841.

    Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY)

Showing 3 of 476 records for Mathers in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY). 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); Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain).

Canada84 records

84 records of the Mathers name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 32
  • Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver 18
  • Other Canadian records 34
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Richard Mathers

    Came to Ontario in 1869 aboard the Moravian, landing at Portland, bound for Hamilton, Ontario; English.

    Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Mary Mathers

    Buried in 1987 at Queen's Park Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 78.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Isaac Henry Mathers

    Died 1932 in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.

Showing 3 of 84 records for Mathers in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

United Kingdom30 records

30 records of the Mathers name in the United Kingdom
  • Stirling Council burial records 13
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 10
  • Other British records 7
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Alfred Mathers

    Died 1981, aged 73; buried at Bannockburn Cemetery, Stirling, Scotland.

    Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  2. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Charles Mathers

    Will proved in 1940; of Liverpool, Lancaster.

    National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0)
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record William Mathers

    Died 1920. Named in the roll of honour (1926).

    National Library of Scotland, Rolls of Honour (public domain)

Showing 3 of 30 records for Mathers 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) · National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0) · National Library of Scotland, Rolls of Honour (public domain) · MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

New Zealand2 records

2 records of the Mathers name in New Zealand
  • Christchurch City cemetery records 1
  • Thames-Coromandel District cemetery records 1
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record William Edward Mathers

    Buried in 1929 at Shortland Cemetery, Thames-Coromandel District, Waikato, aged 72.

    Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record William John Mathers

    Died 1946, aged 74; buried at Bromley Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0) · Thames-Coromandel District 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 Mathers.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Mathers 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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