The Mathews surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 51,592 people carried this name — #663 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 5,720 people counted. That is up 2% from 50,608 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Mathews surname

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley classes it as a baptismal name, from a given name: ‘the son of Mathew’.

An early record he cites: Agnes Mathewe, 1379 — Poll Tax, West Riding of Yorkshire.

His entry covers Mathew, Mathews, Mathewson, Matthew, Matthews and Matthewson.

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

In Ireland’s birth registers, 1890

Ireland registered 78 births for the Mathews name in 1890.

They were registered in all four provinces, most of all in Leinster. By the Registrar-General’s own method — births multiplied by 44.38 — that is about 3,500 people bearing the name in Ireland at the time. The count includes the spelling Matthews. The Registrar-General’s note on the name: “Louth, Dublin, Antrim, and Down.”

Where it concentrates, on the map

Where they were born, 1890

Leinster 38
Ulster 32
Munster 5
Connacht 3

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

In Switzerland’s population statistics

71 people named Mathews live in Switzerland.

They live in 8 of Switzerland’s 26 cantons, most of all in Zurich.

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

Where they live today

Zurich 26
Geneva 17
Vaud 9
Aargau 5
Basel-Landschaft 5
Bern 3
Basel-Stadt 3
Valais 3

Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO), «Surnames of the permanent resident population by canton», 2025, opendata.swiss/en/dataset/nachnamen-der-standigen-wohnbevolkerung-nach-kanton3 · names with fewer than 3 bearers in a canton are not published.

In Poland’s population register

28 people named Mathews have a registered home in Poland.

Of the 54 in Poland’s national register, these are the ones with a permanent address on file. They live in 5 of Poland’s 16 voivodeships, most of all in Silesian.

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

Where they live today

Silesian 9
Kuyavian-Pomeranian 8
Greater Poland 7
Lower Silesian 2
West Pomeranian 2

PESEL register, Ministry of Digital Affairs of Poland (dane.gov.pl) — CC0 · living people by voivodeship of permanent residence, 20 January 2026.

In the Nordic population registers

62 people named Mathews are counted in Sweden and Finland.

Sweden’s figure is from 31 December 2022, the last count Statistics Sweden published. Finland counts its citizens, at home or abroad.

Counted, by country

Sweden (2022) 35
Finland (2026) 27

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) · Digital and Population Data Services Agency (DVV), Finland, surname statistics, August 2026 — CC BY 4.0.

In print

Mathews in American newspapers,
1878–1913.

Newspaper page from Santa Fe New Mexican carrying the name Mathews
Santa Fe New Mexican 1913-10-21
Newspaper page from Memphis Daily Appeal carrying the name Mathews
Memphis Daily Appeal 1878-06-12
Newspaper page from The Salt Lake Herald carrying the name Mathews
The Salt Lake Herald 1906-01-19

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain.

In print

Mathews in Australian newspapers,
1820s–1990s.

72,903 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Mathews. The most, 13,699, date from the 1910s. Victoria 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 South Australia, at 1.5 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

Victoria 20,653
New South Wales 20,027
South Australia 13,301
Queensland 7,673
Western Australia 6,434
Tasmania 3,960
ACT (Canberra) 688
Northern Territory 40

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

Who carried it

People named Mathews,
with a public archive behind them.

  • John Mathews d. 1757 · military officer
  • Mary Mathews d. 1865 · stage actor
  • Mary Mathews d. 1864 · stage actor
  • Mary Anne Leigh d. 1859 · bookseller
  • Simon Mathews d. 1755
  • Elizabeth Mary Mathews d. 1918

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

In the public record

People named Mathews,
in the records of 8 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 States6,810 records

6,810 records of the Mathews name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 1,853
  • Passenger arrivals in the United States, 1820–1912 1,530
  • Other U.S. records 3,427
  1. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Henry Don Mathews

    Born 1948; from Rogers, Arkansas. U.S. Army, aircraft maintenance apprentice; killed in action 1969 in Phuoc Long, South Vietnam. Buried at Fayetteville National Cemetery, Arkansas.

    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 Walter G. Mathews

    Born 1900 in Georgia. Enlisted 1942 at Camp Blanding, Florida; driver. U.S. Army Air Forces veteran of World War II; died 1974, buried at Barrancas National Cemetery, Florida.

    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 Henriette Mathews

    Arrived at New York in 1856 aboard the Clio from Bremen, aged 27; farmer. From Posen, Germany; bound for Wisconsin.

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

Showing 3 of 6,810 records for Mathews in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · 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) · City of Asheville (public domain, PDDL). 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).

Australia2,287 records

2,287 records of the Mathews name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 1,228
  • Tasmanian Names Index 392
  • Other Australian records 667
  1. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Ann Mathews

    Died 1899 in Longford, Tasmania, aged 67. Will registered in Tasmania in 1899.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Selina Kate Mathews

    Born 1859 in Hamilton, Tasmania. Married 1882 in Hobart, Tasmania, aged 23.

    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 Charles Mathews

    Transported to New South Wales aboard the Randolph, arriving 1849; ticket of leave 1849.

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

Showing 3 of 2,287 records for Mathews 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) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · ACT Government, Transport Canberra and City Services (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain); Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain).

Canada260 records

260 records of the Mathews name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 153
  • Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver 34
  • Other Canadian records 73
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Geo Mathews

    Came to Ontario in 1875 aboard the Polynesian, landing at Quebec, 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 Amelia Ada Mathews

    Buried in 1984 at Queen's Park Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 74.

    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 Louisa Mathews

    Died 1925 in Sydney, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia.

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

Showing 3 of 260 records for Mathews 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. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · Contains information provided by the City of Waterloo under licence. 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).

Germany76 records

76 records of the Mathews name in Germany Germany's First World War casualty lists, 1914–1919
  1. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Richard Mathews

    From Reetz, Arnswalde. Reported missing in the Prussian casualty list of 10 July 1917.

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)
  2. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Karl August Mathews

    From Üdem (Rhpr.). Reported taken prisoner in the colonial troops' casualty list of 27 July 1918.

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)
  3. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Emil Mathews

    From Selchow, Fielehne. Reported wounded in the Prussian casualty list of 9 September 1918.

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)

Showing 3 of 76 records for Mathews in Germany.

Counts: Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Deutsche Verlustlisten, Prussian list 1116, 18 April 1918 (scan via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0).

United Kingdom74 records

74 records of the Mathews name in the United Kingdom
  • Welsh wills index cards 40
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 20
  • Other British records 14
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record William Mathews

    Died 1954, aged 84; buried at Thornhill 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 George Mathews

    Will proved in 1936; of Caerwys, Flint.

    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 S. B. Mathews

    Yeomanry. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Showing 3 of 74 records for Mathews in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. · Stirling Council. 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 Zealand33 records

33 records of the Mathews name in New Zealand
  • Christchurch City cemetery records 26
  • Marlborough District cemetery records 4
  • Other New Zealand records 3
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Edward Mathews

    Died 1972, aged 54; buried at Picton Cemetery, Marlborough.

    Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Clifford Osborne Mathews

    Died 1942, aged 45; buried at Bromley Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record John Patrick Mathews

    Died 1964; buried at Rangiora Lawn Cemetery, Canterbury.

    Waimakariri District Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 33 records for Mathews in New Zealand.

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0) · Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0) · Waimakariri District Council (CC BY 4.0) · 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).

Netherlands17 records

17 records of the Mathews name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch population registers 8
  • Dutch church registers before 1811 5
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 4
  1. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Herbert Mathews

    Died 1909 in Rotterdam, aged 27.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Rotterdam (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Joseph Mathews

    Died 1815 in Delft; born in StMichaelsberg, England.

    Open Archives, Archief Delft (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Thomas Mathews

    Died 1884 in Hontenisse, aged 25.

    Open Archives, Zeeuws Archief (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 17 records for Mathews in the Netherlands.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

France4 records

4 records of the Mathews name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Marie Alice Josephine Mathews

    Born 1917 in Lyon; died 1999 in Saint-Cyr-au-Mont-d'Or (Rhône).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  2. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Randall Kent Mathews

    Born 1956 in the United States; died 1994 in Noyon (Oise).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Showing 2 of 4 records for Mathews in France.

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

Other spellings of this name

The same name, spelled another way.

Spellings that H. B. Guppy (England and Wales, 1890) or the Registrar-General for Ireland (births index of 1890) counted as one name together with Mathews.

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Mathews.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Mathews 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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