NameCensus.

UK surname

Matten

A variant of the German surname Matte, referring to a mat or rug maker.

In the 1881 census there were 83 people recorded with the Matten surname, ranking it #21,808 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 199, ranked #19,653, up from #21,808 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Campsea Ash, St Leonard Shoreditch and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Adur, Mid Devon and Hastings.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Matten is 226 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 139.8%.

1881 census count

83

Ranked #21,808

Modern count

199

2016, ranked #19,653

Peak year

1998

226 bearers

Map years

7

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Matten had 83 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #21,808 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 199 in 2016, ranked #19,653.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 197 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Matten surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Matten surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Matten 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 56 #23,235
1861 historical 133 #16,835
1881 historical 83 #21,808
1891 historical 116 #21,766
1901 historical 197 #15,272
1911 historical 176 #16,185
1997 modern 223 #16,448
1998 modern 226 #16,800
1999 modern 222 #17,080
2000 modern 220 #17,138
2001 modern 211 #17,376
2002 modern 208 #17,848
2003 modern 204 #17,909
2004 modern 202 #18,110
2005 modern 199 #18,198
2006 modern 210 #17,718
2007 modern 205 #18,194
2008 modern 203 #18,470
2009 modern 199 #19,090
2010 modern 197 #19,640
2011 modern 189 #19,997
2012 modern 198 #19,340
2013 modern 198 #19,657
2014 modern 205 #19,375
2015 modern 196 #19,840
2016 modern 199 #19,653

Geography

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Where Mattens are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Campsea Ash, St Leonard Shoreditch, London parishes, Marlesford and Peasenhall, Sibton. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Adur, Mid Devon, Hastings and Hambleton. 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 Campsea Ash Suffolk
2 St Leonard Shoreditch London (East Districts)
3 London parishes London 3
4 Marlesford Suffolk
5 Peasenhall, Sibton Suffolk

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Adur 008 Adur
2 Mid Devon 011 Mid Devon
3 Hastings 008 Hastings
4 Hambleton 007 Hambleton
5 Adur 006 Adur

Forenames

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First names often paired with Matten

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Matten

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

Rural Amenity

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Matten is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Matten is most concentrated in decile 2 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.

2
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Matten 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 Matten is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Matten

The surname Matten is of German origin, deriving from the Germanic personal name Matto or Mattheus, which is a variant of the biblical name Matthew, meaning "gift of God." The name Matten first appeared in the regions of Saxony and Franconia in the early Middle Ages.

Matten is believed to have originated as a patronymic name, indicating the son or descendant of someone named Matto or Mattheus. Early recordings of the name include Mathias Matten, who was mentioned in records from Wurzburg, Germany, in 1325, and Hans Matten, a resident of Nuremberg in the 15th century.

Historical records show that the Matten family was well-established in the city of Nuremberg during the 16th and 17th centuries. Notably, Johann Matten (1500-1572) was a prominent merchant and councilor in the city. His son, Georg Matten (1535-1603), was a respected jurist and author of legal treatises.

The Matten name also appears in various historical manuscripts and documents from other regions of Germany, such as the Bavarian town of Landshut, where a certain Michael Matten was recorded as a citizen in 1623.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Matten outside of Germany can be found in the Netherlands, where Pieter Matten (1575-1642) was a notable painter and engraver from Utrecht during the Dutch Golden Age.

Other notable individuals with the surname Matten throughout history include:

1. Friedrich Matten (1809-1885), a German painter and illustrator from Nuremberg. 2. Emilie Matten (1825-1903), a German writer and educator from Berlin. 3. Johann Matten (1856-1923), a German politician and member of the Reichstag from Bavaria. 4. Wilhelm Matten (1892-1963), a German artist and sculptor known for his expressionist works. 5. Theodor Matten (1894-1976), a German-American painter and art teacher who emigrated to the United States in the 1920s.

It's important to note that while the surname Matten originated in Germany, it has since spread to other regions and countries due to migration and various historical events.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Matten families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Matten 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 16 Mattens recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.83x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 16 2.83x
Essex 15 13.43x
Suffolk 11 15.97x
Norfolk 6 6.90x
Huntingdonshire 3 26.71x
Devon 2 1.70x
Kent 2 1.04x
Bedfordshire 1 3.41x
Hampshire 1 0.86x
Yorkshire 1 0.18x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Barking in Essex leads with 8 Mattens recorded in 1881 and an index of 244.65x.

Place Total Index
Barking 8 244.65x
Bethnal Green London 6 24.42x
Oxnead 6 60000.00x
West Bergholt 6 2857.14x
Shoreditch London 5 20.39x
Trimley St Mary 5 6250.00x
Easton 3 10000.00x
Middleton 3 3000.00x
Campsea Ash 2 2857.14x
Stoke Damerel 2 24.27x
Aylesford 1 188.68x
Bradford 1 7.37x
Bromley 1 34.01x
Colchester St Giles 1 90.91x
Elvetham 1 1111.11x
Great Finborough 1 1250.00x
Islington London 1 1.82x
Kensington London 1 3.18x
Luton 1 19.72x
St Andrew Holborn 1 52.08x
St Pancras London 1 2.20x
Whitechapel London 1 17.95x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 4
Alice 2
Fanny 2
Julia 2
Rose 2
Annie 1
Daisey 1
Eliza 1
Emily 1
Emma 1
Eveline 1
Isabel 1
Lizey 1
Louisa 1
Margaret 1
Maria 1
Mary 1
Maud 1
Nelley 1
Sally 1
Sarah 1

Top male names

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

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 Matten households.

FAQ

Matten surname: questions and answers

How common was the Matten surname in 1881?

In 1881, 83 people were recorded with the Matten surname. That placed it at #21,808 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Matten surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 199 in 2016. That gives Matten a modern rank of #19,653.

What does the Matten surname mean?

A variant of the German surname Matte, referring to a mat or rug maker.

What does the Matten map show?

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