NameCensus.

UK surname

Mathews

A patronymic surname derived from the given name Matthew, meaning "gift of Yahweh" or "gift of God."

In the 1881 census there were 11,043 people recorded with the Mathews surname, ranking it #387 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 3,855, ranked #1,755, down from #387 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), London parishes and St Pancras. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Rother, Cornwall and North Devon.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mathews is 11,043 in 1881. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 65.1%.

1881 census count

11,043

Ranked #387

Modern count

3,855

2016, ranked #1,755

Peak year

1881

11,043 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mathews had 11,043 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #387 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 3,855 in 2016, ranked #1,755.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 11,043 in 1881.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Mathews surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mathews surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mathews 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 9,513 #270
1861 historical 9,413 #281
1881 historical 11,043 #387
1891 historical 9,378 #468
1901 historical 7,967 #671
1911 historical 5,946 #872
1997 modern 3,599 #1,796
1998 modern 3,707 #1,818
1999 modern 3,757 #1,806
2000 modern 3,747 #1,797
2001 modern 3,614 #1,824
2002 modern 3,721 #1,819
2003 modern 3,612 #1,832
2004 modern 3,600 #1,836
2005 modern 3,525 #1,853
2006 modern 3,547 #1,844
2007 modern 3,643 #1,805
2008 modern 3,670 #1,808
2009 modern 3,791 #1,795
2010 modern 3,923 #1,773
2011 modern 3,823 #1,793
2012 modern 3,750 #1,794
2013 modern 3,879 #1,764
2014 modern 3,879 #1,771
2015 modern 3,843 #1,767
2016 modern 3,855 #1,755

Geography

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Where Mathews' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), London parishes, St Pancras and Lambeth. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Rother, Cornwall, North Devon and Carmarthenshire. 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 Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos) Glamorganshire
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 St Pancras London (North Districts)
5 Lambeth London (South Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Rother 002 Rother
2 Cornwall 067 Cornwall
3 North Devon 014 North Devon
4 Carmarthenshire 016 Carmarthenshire
5 Cornwall 068 Cornwall

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mathews

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mathews

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Mathews, 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

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Ageing Communities

Nationally, the Mathews surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Mathews household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Mathews is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Mathews is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Mathews falls in decile 6 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Mathews 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 Mathews, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Mathews

The surname Mathews originated in England and dates back to the late 12th century. It derived from the given name Mathew, which is itself an English variant of the Hebrew personal name Mattathiah, meaning "gift of God." The earliest recorded spelling of the surname is found in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1296, where it appears as Matheu.

The Mathews name is believed to have originated in the counties of Sussex, Kent, and Surrey in southern England. Many early instances of the surname can be found in parish records and tax rolls from these areas. For example, in 1327, a Thomas Mathew is recorded in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex.

During the Middle Ages, the surname Mathews appeared in various spellings, such as Matheu, Mathewe, and Mathue, reflecting the inconsistencies in spelling and record-keeping at the time. These variations persisted until the 16th and 17th centuries when standardized spellings became more common.

One of the earliest documented instances of the Mathews surname is found in the famous Domesday Book of 1086, which records a landowner named Mathew in the county of Gloucestershire.

Notable individuals with the surname Mathews throughout history include Sir Tobie Mathew (1577-1655), an English courtier and writer during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I; John Mathews (1755-1826), an English-born American politician and soldier who served as the 29th Governor of Georgia; and William Mathews (1837-1912), an American merchant and philanthropist who co-founded the Mathews Furniture Company in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Other significant figures include Sir Edmund Mathew (1530-1594), an English landowner and Member of Parliament during the Tudor period; and Charles Mathews (1776-1835), an English comic actor and playwright known for his performances in London's West End theaters.

Throughout the centuries, the Mathews surname has been well-represented in various fields, including politics, literature, business, and the military, reflecting its long-standing presence in England and its subsequent spread to other parts of the world through migration and colonization.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mathews families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mathews 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. Middlesex leads with 1,219 Mathews' recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.13x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 1,219 1.13x
Glamorgan 829 4.41x
Lancashire 710 0.55x
Surrey 689 1.31x
Staffordshire 531 1.46x
Warwickshire 465 1.71x
Cornwall 446 3.65x
Gloucestershire 435 2.06x
Yorkshire 408 0.38x
Devon 393 1.75x
Kent 367 1.00x
Monmouthshire 307 3.94x
Hampshire 279 1.26x
Shropshire 270 2.90x
Wiltshire 268 2.81x
Somerset 246 1.42x
Worcestershire 229 1.63x
Cheshire 191 0.80x
Herefordshire 173 3.91x
Durham 163 0.51x
Norfolk 162 0.98x
Sussex 161 0.89x
Berkshire 141 1.74x
Essex 136 0.64x
Flintshire 133 4.59x
Denbighshire 112 2.75x
Leicestershire 112 0.94x
Nottinghamshire 102 0.70x
Northumberland 98 0.61x
Derbyshire 89 0.53x
Montgomeryshire 89 3.60x
Oxfordshire 89 1.34x
Cumberland 77 0.83x
Northamptonshire 75 0.74x
Lanarkshire 71 0.20x
Buckinghamshire 69 1.06x
Suffolk 60 0.46x
Brecknockshire 59 2.73x
Cambridgeshire 55 0.80x
Bedfordshire 48 0.86x
Hertfordshire 48 0.65x
Dorset 45 0.64x
Lincolnshire 41 0.24x
Angus 40 0.40x
Pembrokeshire 34 0.99x
Channel Islands 30 0.94x
Carmarthenshire 22 0.48x
Huntingdonshire 20 0.93x
Anglesey 19 0.99x
Aberdeenshire 18 0.18x
Ayrshire 18 0.22x
Midlothian 18 0.12x
Stirlingshire 16 0.40x
Westmorland 16 0.67x
Merionethshire 14 0.71x
Perthshire 13 0.27x
Radnorshire 13 1.49x
Rutland 11 1.39x
Roxburghshire 10 0.51x
Royal Navy 10 0.78x
Caernarfonshire 9 0.21x
Renfrewshire 8 0.10x
Cardiganshire 7 0.27x
Argyllshire 5 0.17x
Fife 5 0.08x
Kirkcudbrightshire 4 0.26x
Wigtownshire 3 0.21x
Isle of Man 2 0.10x
Banffshire 1 0.04x
Dunbartonshire 1 0.03x
East Lothian 1 0.07x
Kincardineshire 1 0.08x
Selkirkshire 1 0.10x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Aston in Warwickshire leads with 135 Mathews' recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.80x.

Place Total Index
Aston 135 1.80x
Birmingham 132 1.46x
Islington London 122 1.17x
St Pancras London 122 1.40x
Lambeth 109 1.16x
Liverpool 104 1.34x
Deptford St Paul 84 2.96x
Clase 79 11.31x
Ystradyfodwg 78 4.73x
Hackney London 76 1.26x
Portsea 72 1.66x
Kensington London 70 1.17x
Camberwell 68 0.99x
Paddington London 65 1.64x
Bedwellty 63 4.58x
Paul 62 27.94x
Cheltenham 61 3.74x
Newington 56 1.41x
Clerkenwell London 55 2.16x
Merthyr Tydfil 54 2.99x
Shoreditch London 53 1.13x
Madron Penzance 52 11.71x
Toxteth Park 50 1.15x
Swansea Town 47 3.05x
Croydon 46 1.58x
Rotherhithe 46 3.45x
St George Hanover 46 3.27x
Kingswinford 45 3.40x
Penarth 45 24.51x
Everton 44 1.08x
Aberdare 42 3.26x
Edgbaston 40 4.74x
Mile End Old Town 40 2.35x
St Marylebone London 40 0.69x
Trevethin 40 5.43x
Bermondsey 39 1.21x
Cardiff St Mary 38 3.67x
Stoke Upon Trent 38 0.98x
Westbury On Severn East 38 7.94x
Woolwich 38 2.79x
Sedgley 37 2.74x
West Derby 37 0.99x
Leeds 36 0.60x
Roath 36 4.22x
Bromley London 35 1.47x
Southwark St George Martyr 35 1.61x
Wolverhampton 35 1.25x
St George In East 34 4.63x
Walsall Foreign 34 1.81x
Bedwas 33 58.37x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 33 1.66x
Hornsey 33 2.42x
West Dean 33 9.60x
Brighton 32 0.87x
Chorlton On Medlock 32 1.57x
Gelligaer 32 7.46x
Madron 32 32.43x
Manchester 32 0.56x
Llangyfelach 31 44.07x
Chelsea London 30 0.92x
Chirton 30 8.26x
Govan 30 0.35x
Newton Abbot St Mary 30 15.92x
Tranmere 30 3.43x
Salford 29 0.77x
Nottingham St Mary 28 0.74x
Oldbury 28 4.04x
Birkenhead 27 1.42x
Midsomer Norton 27 16.50x
Shrewsbury St Mary 27 7.34x
St Just In Penwith 27 11.39x
Llanllwchaiarn 26 24.28x
Sherston Magna 26 45.22x
Aberystruth 25 3.64x
Bethnal Green London 25 0.53x
Chelsham 25 151.06x
Holywell 25 6.87x
Llandilo Talybont 25 25.34x
Maidstone 25 2.28x
St Luke London 25 1.44x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 767
Elizabeth 461
Sarah 333
Ann 247
Jane 204
Eliza 173
Emma 164
Annie 153
Ellen 153
Alice 136
Emily 117
Margaret 114
Hannah 97
Martha 92
Harriet 77
Caroline 75
Edith 71
Fanny 67
Catherine 60
Florence 58
Louisa 58
Maria 54
Charlotte 52
Clara 49
Ada 45
Kate 45
Anne 44
Susan 43
Frances 40
Amelia 37
Lucy 36
Harriett 32
Isabella 27
Agnes 26
Elizth. 24
Esther 24
Matilda 24
Rebecca 24
Sophia 24
Jessie 23
Laura 23
Lydia 20
Margret 20
Minnie 20
Susannah 19
Julia 18
Rachel 18
Rose 18
Amy 17
Ethel 17

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 738
John 618
Thomas 425
George 351
James 340
Charles 247
Henry 227
Joseph 155
Edward 143
Richard 117
Alfred 108
Robert 103
David 97
Samuel 90
Frederick 81
Arthur 66
Albert 63
Edwin 61
Harry 56
Walter 55
Frank 46
Wm. 41
Francis 38
Thos. 32
Isaac 31
Benjamin 29
Herbert 29
Daniel 27
Stephen 27
Ernest 23
Fredrick 22
Evan 19
Mark 17
Geo. 14
Mathew 14
Edmund 13
Fred 13
Abraham 12
Tom 12
Jesse 10
Jno. 10
Lewis 10
Peter 10
Phillip 9
Chas. 8
Hugh 8
Edgar 7
Joshua 7
Patrick 7
Sidney 7

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Mathews households.

FAQ

Mathews surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mathews surname in 1881?

In 1881, 11,043 people were recorded with the Mathews surname. That placed it at #387 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mathews surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 3,855 in 2016. That gives Mathews a modern rank of #1,755.

What does the Mathews surname mean?

A patronymic surname derived from the given name Matthew, meaning "gift of Yahweh" or "gift of God."

What does the Mathews map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Mathews 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.