NameCensus.

UK surname

Mathewson

Son of Matthew, a patronymic surname derived from the given name Matthew, which means "gift of God."

In the 1881 census there were 727 people recorded with the Mathewson surname, ranking it #5,022 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 689, ranked #7,798, down from #5,022 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Fetlar and Yell, Arbroath and St. Vigeans and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Shropshire, Ythsie and Arbroath Cliffburn.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mathewson is 727 in 1881. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 5.2%.

1881 census count

727

Ranked #5,022

Modern count

689

2016, ranked #7,798

Peak year

1881

727 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mathewson had 727 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #5,022 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 689 in 2016, ranked #7,798.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 727 in 1881.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Mathewson surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mathewson surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mathewson 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 663 #3,915
1861 historical 649 #4,140
1881 historical 727 #5,022
1891 historical 628 #6,158
1901 historical 662 #6,550
1911 historical 232 #13,592
1997 modern 649 #7,664
1998 modern 697 #7,498
1999 modern 697 #7,542
2000 modern 668 #7,767
2001 modern 656 #7,744
2002 modern 657 #7,880
2003 modern 658 #7,764
2004 modern 658 #7,762
2005 modern 673 #7,577
2006 modern 673 #7,601
2007 modern 671 #7,688
2008 modern 685 #7,609
2009 modern 706 #7,595
2010 modern 722 #7,599
2011 modern 700 #7,696
2012 modern 668 #7,896
2013 modern 682 #7,897
2014 modern 686 #7,905
2015 modern 686 #7,846
2016 modern 689 #7,798

Geography

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Where Mathewsons are most common

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

The modern local-area list points to Shropshire, Ythsie, Arbroath Cliffburn, Arbroath Harbour and Arbroath Warddykes. 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 Fetlar and Yell Shetland
2 Arbroath and St. Vigeans Forfar
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Shropshire 005 Shropshire
2 Ythsie Aberdeenshire
3 Arbroath Cliffburn Angus
4 Arbroath Harbour Angus
5 Arbroath Warddykes Angus

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mathewson

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mathewson

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Mathewson, 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 Mathewson surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Mathewson 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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Mathewson is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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 primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Mathewson is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Mathewson falls in decile 7 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.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Mathewson

The surname Mathewson is of English origin and is derived from the medieval given name Matthew, which itself is derived from the Hebrew name Mattithyahu, meaning "gift of Yahweh." The surname Mathewson evolved from the patronymic form of the name, which was originally "Matthew's son" or "son of Matthew."

The earliest recorded instances of the Mathewson surname date back to the 13th century in various parts of England, including Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Norfolk. In the Hundred Rolls of 1273, there is a record of a Richard Matheusson in Lincolnshire. The name also appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire in 1301, where a William Mathewson is listed.

During the medieval period, the Mathewson surname was often spelled in various ways, including Mathewson, Mathison, Matthewson, and Mathuson, reflecting the regional variations in pronunciation and spelling conventions of the time. Some notable early bearers of the name include John Mathewson, who was recorded in the Pipe Rolls of Nottinghamshire in 1379, and Thomas Mathewson, who was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327.

The Mathewson surname has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One of the earliest was Sir Edward Mathewson (c. 1535-1589), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Brackley during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. In the 17th century, Reverend John Mathewson (1639-1687) was a prominent Puritan minister in Boston, Massachusetts, and a leader of the New England Congregationalist Church.

In more recent times, the Mathewson surname has been borne by several accomplished individuals, including Christy Mathewson (1880-1925), a celebrated American baseball pitcher who was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1936. Another notable bearer of the name was Sir Hiram Stevens Maxim (1840-1916), an American-British inventor best known for his pioneering work on the Maxim machine gun.

Other notable individuals with the Mathewson surname include James Mathewson (1805-1882), a Scottish-American businessman and politician who served as the Mayor of New York City from 1866 to 1868, and Robert Mathewson (1853-1912), a Canadian financier and philanthropist who co-founded the Royal Victoria Hospital in Montreal.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mathewson families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mathewson 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. Angus leads with 141 Mathewsons recorded in 1881 and an index of 21.55x.

County Total Index
Angus 141 21.55x
Fife 136 32.53x
Middlesex 51 0.72x
Lanarkshire 50 2.19x
Northumberland 48 4.57x
Midlothian 32 3.38x
Durham 30 1.43x
Norfolk 27 2.49x
Perthshire 27 8.52x
Aberdeenshire 22 3.36x
Shetland 22 30.50x
Berwickshire 14 16.37x
Stirlingshire 12 4.61x
Kent 10 0.42x
Lancashire 10 0.12x
Surrey 10 0.29x
Roxburghshire 9 7.04x
Yorkshire 9 0.13x
Somerset 7 0.62x
Sussex 7 0.59x
Wiltshire 7 1.12x
Ayrshire 6 1.14x
Renfrewshire 6 1.10x
Anglesey 4 3.20x
Dunbartonshire 3 1.58x
Selkirkshire 3 4.70x
Cheshire 2 0.13x
Devon 2 0.14x
Essex 2 0.14x
Hampshire 2 0.14x
Inverness-shire 2 0.95x
Kirkcudbrightshire 2 1.96x
Suffolk 2 0.23x
Banffshire 1 0.68x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.23x
Gloucestershire 1 0.07x
Royal Navy 1 1.19x
Staffordshire 1 0.04x
Warwickshire 1 0.06x
West Lothian 1 0.94x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Dundee in Angus leads with 45 Mathewsons recorded in 1881 and an index of 18.42x.

Place Total Index
Dundee 45 18.42x
Govan 36 6.37x
Kirkcaldy 30 144.72x
Hevingham 25 1351.35x
Forgan 18 224.72x
Abbotshall 17 108.83x
Arbroath 16 73.80x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 16 4.20x
Dysart 13 46.18x
Tulliallan 13 242.09x
Willesden 13 19.53x
Barony 12 2.08x
Campsie 12 83.97x
Lerwick Gulberwick 12 107.53x
Dalgety 10 313.48x
Liff Benvie 10 10.07x
St Vigeans 10 28.31x
Billingham 9 248.62x
Bishopwearmouth 9 4.99x
Carham 9 330.88x
Fyvie 9 84.35x
Kinghorn 9 101.47x
Newcastle On Tyne St John 9 65.12x
South Leith 9 8.45x
Strathmartine 9 310.34x
Tarves 9 145.40x
Cupar 8 44.00x
Seaton Delaval 8 86.67x
Southwick 8 40.20x
Yell Mid 8 336.13x
Abroath St Vigeans 7 260.22x
Creech St Michael 7 246.48x
Devizes St James 7 84.34x
Ladykirk 7 660.38x
Wortley In Bramley 7 12.63x
Abbey 6 7.18x
Battersea 6 2.31x
Elswick 6 7.15x
Lochee 6 102.74x
Perth West Church 6 39.89x
St Marylebone London 6 1.59x
Brechin 5 19.45x
Bromley London 5 3.22x
Dunfermline 5 7.78x
Harpurhey 5 42.99x
Kinnel 5 295.86x
Seaford 5 123.46x
St Andrews 5 26.29x
Auchterderran 4 38.06x
Beaumaris 4 86.77x
Camberwell 4 0.89x
Carmyllie 4 143.37x
Clerkenwell London 4 2.40x
Coldingham 4 52.02x
Craig 4 63.29x
Galston 4 27.68x
Greenwich 4 3.56x
Inverkeithing 4 63.49x
Islington London 4 0.58x
Kelso 4 31.37x
Kensington London 4 1.02x
Kilconquhar 4 80.32x
Kirkden 4 97.80x
Liverpool 4 0.79x
Ardoch 3 112.36x
Beath 3 22.71x
Byker 3 5.78x
Glenisla 3 157.07x
Hackney London 3 0.76x
Lasswade 3 13.87x
Longbenton 3 6.74x
Mains 3 53.96x
Shoreditch London 3 0.98x
St Pancras London 3 0.53x
Tweedmouth 3 22.90x
Ancroft 2 54.20x
Forfar 2 5.64x
Greenlaw 2 66.01x
Kirkpatrick Durham 2 62.89x
Linton 2 150.38x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 16
Elizabeth 9
Margaret 8
Catherine 6
Sarah 5
Ann 4
Charlotte 4
Ellen 4
Emma 4
Jane 4
Anne 3
Eliza 3
Alice 2
Amelia 2
Caroline 2
Elspeth 2
Esther 2
Harriet 2
Jesse 2
Maria 2
Agnes 1
Annie 1
Betey 1
Christina 1
Dinah 1
Dorothy 1
Edith 1
Elexandra 1
Elizab. 1
Elizbeth 1
Emily 1
Ethelwin 1
Flora 1
Florence 1
Hannah 1
Harriett 1
Harriette 1
Hellen 1
Kate 1
Lizzie 1
Maggie 1
Maryann 1
Matilda 1
Maude 1
Minnie 1
Pheobe 1
Rachel 1
Rebecca 1
Rosa 1
Sidney 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 21
James 16
John 15
Thomas 8
George 6
Walter 5
Henry 4
Robert 3
Samuel 3
Albert 2
Alexander 2
Andrew 2
Charles 2
David 2
J. 2
Alex 1
Alfred 1
Andw. 1
Angus 1
Donald 1
Edwd. 1
Elliott 1
Ernest 1
Francis 1
Fred 1
Frederick 1
Geo. 1
Hector 1
Isaac 1
Jas. 1
Joseph 1
Matthew 1
Ralph 1
Stepen 1
Stephen 1

FAQ

Mathewson surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mathewson surname in 1881?

In 1881, 727 people were recorded with the Mathewson surname. That placed it at #5,022 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mathewson surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 689 in 2016. That gives Mathewson a modern rank of #7,798.

What does the Mathewson surname mean?

Son of Matthew, a patronymic surname derived from the given name Matthew, which means "gift of God."

What does the Mathewson map show?

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