NameCensus.

UK surname

Mathers

A Scottish and English surname derived from a place name meaning "mother's" or "maternal ancestor's" in Old English.

In the 1881 census there were 1,796 people recorded with the Mathers surname, ranking it #2,419 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,508, ranked #2,637, down from #2,419 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to St. Monance, Arbroath and St. Vigeans and Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bradford, Forest Heath and Howe of Alford.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mathers is 2,545 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 39.6%.

1881 census count

1,796

Ranked #2,419

Modern count

2,508

2016, ranked #2,637

Peak year

2014

2,545 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mathers had 1,796 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,419 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,508 in 2016, ranked #2,637.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,043 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Mathers surname distribution map

The map shows where the Mathers surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Mathers surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Mathers over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 1,006 #2,774
1861 historical 1,174 #2,408
1881 historical 1,796 #2,419
1891 historical 1,747 #2,609
1901 historical 2,043 #2,622
1911 historical 1,588 #3,061
1997 modern 2,283 #2,720
1998 modern 2,430 #2,675
1999 modern 2,448 #2,678
2000 modern 2,423 #2,687
2001 modern 2,375 #2,683
2002 modern 2,473 #2,645
2003 modern 2,398 #2,665
2004 modern 2,382 #2,677
2005 modern 2,336 #2,691
2006 modern 2,393 #2,637
2007 modern 2,390 #2,667
2008 modern 2,395 #2,677
2009 modern 2,469 #2,677
2010 modern 2,474 #2,723
2011 modern 2,480 #2,690
2012 modern 2,474 #2,647
2013 modern 2,506 #2,654
2014 modern 2,545 #2,639
2015 modern 2,514 #2,642
2016 modern 2,508 #2,637

Geography

Back to top

Where Mathers' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around St. Monance, Arbroath and St. Vigeans, Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry, Glasgow and London parishes. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bradford, Forest Heath, Howe of Alford, Inverurie North and Cromar and Kildrummy. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 St. Monance Fife
2 Arbroath and St. Vigeans Forfar
3 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar
4 Glasgow Lanark
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bradford 019 Bradford
2 Forest Heath 001 Forest Heath
3 Howe of Alford Aberdeenshire
4 Inverurie North Aberdeenshire
5 Cromar and Kildrummy Aberdeenshire

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Mathers

These lists show first names that appear often with the Mathers surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Mathers

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Mathers, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Mathers surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Mathers household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Mathers is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Mathers is most concentrated in decile 8 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Mathers falls in decile 8 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Mathers is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Mathers, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Mathers

The surname Mathers originated in England, deriving from an occupational name for a mower or harvester of crops. It stems from the Old English word "mathere," which translates to "mower" or "reaper." The name first appeared in historical records during the 13th century.

Mathers is also believed to be a variation of the surname "Mather," which has similar origins. One of the earliest recorded instances of this name can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1275, where a Richard le Mather is mentioned.

In the 14th century, the surname Mathers began appearing in various regions of England, including Yorkshire, Lancashire, and Derbyshire. The Hundred Rolls of 1273 list a John le Mather in Derbyshire, suggesting the name's presence in that county during that period.

The Mathers surname has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One of the earliest was Richard Mather (1596-1669), a renowned Puritan minister and one of the founders of the Massachusetts Bay Colony in America.

Another prominent figure was Increase Mather (1639-1723), a Puritan minister and author who served as the president of Harvard College from 1685 to 1701. His son, Cotton Mather (1663-1728), was a highly influential Puritan minister and prolific author, best known for his work "Magnalia Christi Americana."

In England, the surname Mathers has been linked to places such as Matherfield in Staffordshire and Matherlow in Cheshire, both of which likely derived their names from people bearing the Mathers surname in those areas.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Mathers name appeared in various parish records and documents across England, including in counties like Lancashire, Yorkshire, and Derbyshire. Several variations of the spelling were also recorded, such as Mather, Mathers, and Mathers.

Another notable individual with the Mathers surname was Samuel Mathers (1766-1846), an English engraver and artist who was known for his intricate engravings of landscapes and architectural subjects.

The Mathers surname has endured throughout the centuries, and while its prevalence may have varied across regions and time periods, it remains a testament to the occupational roots and historical significance of this English surname.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Mathers families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mathers surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Yorkshire leads with 463 Mathers' recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.69x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 463 2.69x
Angus 223 13.84x
Lancashire 152 0.74x
Lanarkshire 121 2.15x
Aberdeenshire 82 5.09x
Middlesex 78 0.45x
Fife 76 7.38x
Lincolnshire 62 2.23x
Cheshire 59 1.54x
Derbyshire 59 2.17x
Staffordshire 52 0.89x
Nottinghamshire 45 1.92x
Surrey 41 0.48x
Leicestershire 38 1.97x
Devon 25 0.69x
Bedfordshire 24 2.66x
Warwickshire 22 0.50x
Kincardineshire 17 8.03x
Midlothian 17 0.73x
Durham 15 0.29x
Kent 13 0.22x
Caithness 11 4.62x
Perthshire 10 1.28x
Cumberland 9 0.60x
Flintshire 8 1.71x
Glamorgan 7 0.23x
Hampshire 6 0.17x
Denbighshire 5 0.76x
West Lothian 5 1.91x
Cambridgeshire 4 0.36x
Cornwall 4 0.20x
Stirlingshire 4 0.62x
Gloucestershire 3 0.09x
Hertfordshire 3 0.25x
Argyllshire 2 0.41x
Berkshire 2 0.15x
Roxburghshire 2 0.63x
Shropshire 2 0.13x
Banffshire 1 0.28x
Dumfriesshire 1 0.26x
Essex 1 0.03x
Isle of Man 1 0.31x
Norfolk 1 0.04x
Northamptonshire 1 0.06x
Northumberland 1 0.04x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.18x
Royal Navy 1 0.48x
Sussex 1 0.03x
Sutherland 1 0.75x
Westmorland 1 0.26x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Leeds in Yorkshire leads with 90 Mathers' recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.25x.

Place Total Index
Leeds 90 9.25x
Dundee 85 14.13x
St Monance 56 455.66x
Bramley In Bramley 46 69.72x
Barony 32 2.25x
Glasgow 29 2.90x
Derby St Werburgh 25 15.90x
Wortley In Bramley 25 18.31x
North Bierley 23 24.72x
Holbeck 21 18.39x
Liff Benvie 21 8.59x
St Vigeans 21 24.14x
Hunslet 20 7.44x
Montrose 19 19.46x
Shotts 19 28.23x
Hackney London 17 1.74x
Leicester St Margaret 16 3.40x
Stoke Upon Trent 16 2.57x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 15 4.98x
Brechin 15 23.69x
Tyrie 15 74.18x
Bow London 14 6.32x
Govan 13 0.93x
Nottingham St Mary 13 2.14x
Marykirk 12 137.46x
Metheringham 12 108.01x
Pudsey 12 13.03x
Barrow In Furness 11 3.92x
Bere Ferrers 11 184.56x
Humberstone 11 69.44x
Monifieth 11 19.33x
Skelmanthorpe 11 59.11x
Tipton 11 6.12x
Barnsley 10 5.62x
Burslem 10 5.95x
Halkirk 10 62.07x
Lonmay 10 68.40x
Bedford St Peter 9 38.48x
Castleford 9 14.34x
Everton 9 1.37x
Great Driffield 9 25.45x
Manchester 9 0.97x
St Swithin Lincoln 9 20.59x
Aston By Budworth 8 297.40x
Bishopwearmouth 8 1.80x
Bromley London 8 2.09x
Camberwell 8 0.72x
Coupar Angus 8 52.46x
Errol 8 55.33x
Kirkdale 8 2.30x
Kirriemuir 8 20.12x
Liverpool 8 0.64x
Monikie 8 94.67x
Newton Abbot St Mary 8 26.34x
Panbride 8 95.35x
Salford 8 1.32x
Sutton Stoneferry 8 16.22x
West Derby 8 1.32x
Alwoodley 7 262.17x
Bilton Cum Harrogate 7 11.87x
Bollington In 7 20.49x
Bothwell 7 4.59x
Bowling 7 4.10x
Bradford 7 1.68x
Croydon 7 1.49x
Dronfield 7 20.06x
Eckington 7 10.58x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 7 0.75x
Forfar 7 8.02x
Gomersal 7 8.70x
Lambeth 7 0.46x
Maryhill 7 6.36x
Nettleham 7 122.81x
Normanton 7 13.52x
Preston 7 73.53x
Spotland 7 3.05x
St Leonards 7 151.84x
Sutton In Ashfield 7 13.76x
Tonbridge 7 3.27x
Udny 6 61.48x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Mathers surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Mathers surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
William 71
John 65
James 55
Thomas 42
George 37
Charles 30
Henry 25
Joseph 21
Samuel 21
Arthur 13
Robert 12
Frederick 11
Albert 10
Alfred 9
David 9
Edward 9
Harry 9
Edwin 6
Alexander 5
Benjamin 5
Francis 5
Richard 5
Walter 5
Herbert 4
Isaac 4
Tom 4
Mark 3
Wm. 3
Anne 2
Clarence 2
Cyrus 2
Earnest 2
Elias 2
Frank 2
Fred 2
Fredk. 2
Friend 2
Matthew 2
Sydney 2
Thos. 2
Benjaman 1
Bingham 1
Caleb 1
Edgar 1
Elizabeth 1
Ernest 1
Ezra 1
J.S. 1
Jame 1
Wm.Hy. 1

FAQ

Mathers surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mathers surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,796 people were recorded with the Mathers surname. That placed it at #2,419 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mathers surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,508 in 2016. That gives Mathers a modern rank of #2,637.

What does the Mathers surname mean?

A Scottish and English surname derived from a place name meaning "mother's" or "maternal ancestor's" in Old English.

What does the Mathers map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Mathers bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.