Contents [hide]

Matthew History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Ireland United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Citations

Matthew History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland
Wales
Ireland

The surname Matthew comes ultimately from the Hebrew personal name Mattathaigh, meaning gift of Jehovah, and Latinized as Matthaeus and Mathaeus. As a personal name, and later as a surname, versions of Matthew became common throughout Europe.

Early Origins of the Matthew family

The surname Matthew was first found in 1086 in the Domesday Book, 1 where the name was listed as Mathiu and Matheus. They family came to England and then to migrated to Scotland, following the invasion of William the Conqueror in 1066.

Early History of the Matthew family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Matthew research. Another 68 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1229, 1242, 1546, 1577, 1614, 1628, 1655, 1661, 1721, 1790, 1797, 1824, 1856, 1863, 1889 and 1941 are included under the topic Early Matthew History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Matthew Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Matthew, Mathew, Mathow, Matthews, Matthewson and many more.

Early Notables of the Matthew family

Notable among the family at this time was

Tobias Matthew (1546-1628), Archbishop of York, statesman and writer
Sir Tobie Matthew (1577-1655), English MP, courtier, diplomat and writer
Father Theobald Mathew (1790-1856), who campaigned in Ireland, England and North America. Shailer Mathews (1863-1941), the eminent American theologian who served as president of the Federal Council of...

Matthew Ranking

In the United States, the name Matthew is the 2,827^th most popular surname with an estimated 9,948 people with that name. 2

Migration of the Matthew family to Ireland

Some of the Matthew family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 59 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Matthew migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Matthew Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Thomas Matthew, who arrived in Maryland in 1637 3

Matthew Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Dietrick Matthew, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1765 3

Matthew Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

William Matthew, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1844 3
Joseph Matthew, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1846 3
Catherine Matthew, aged 18, who arrived in New York, NY in 1850 3

Matthew migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Matthew Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

John Matthew, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1749
Morrice Matthew, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1749

Matthew Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

George Matthew, who settled in Saint John, New Brunswick between 1749 and 1800
George Matthew, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1813
Thomas Matthew, aged 40, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Cupid" in 1834

Matthew migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Matthew Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Charles Matthew, a coach-maker, who arrived in Van Diemen’s Land (now Tasmania) sometime between 1825 and 1832
Selina Matthew, who arrived in South Australia in 1849 aboard the ship "Rajah" 4
Serina Matthew, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Rajah" in 1849 4
Richard Matthew, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Sir Edward Parry" in 1849 5
Miss Ann Matthew, (McLea) who was convicted in Perth, Scotland for 7 years, transported aboard the "Emma Eugenia" on 25th October 1850, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 6
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Matthew migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Matthew Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Daniel Matthew, aged 22, a farm labourer, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Mary Ann" in 1842
Hannah Matthew a servant, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Eagle" in 1854 7
Mrs. S. L. Matthew, British settler travelling from Plymouth aboard the ship "Joseph Fletcher" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 19th March 1858 8
Mr. William Matthew, (b. 1833), aged 25, Scottish agricultural labourer from Forfarshire travelling from London aboard the ship "Strathallan" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 21st January 1859 9
Miss Mary Ann Matthew, (b. 1813), aged 46, English housemaid from Somerset travelling from London aboard the ship "Zealandia" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 14th November 1859 9
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Matthew (post 1700) +

Arthur William Matthew, American actor, co-star of television's "The Honeymooners" in 1955-1956
CatrIona Matthew MBE (b. 1969), Scottish LPGA professional golfer
Sir Robert Hogg Matthew OBE, FRIBA (1906-1975), Scottish architect
Ms. Laurie Anne Matthew O.B.E., British Founder for Eighteen and Under, was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire on 8th June 2018, for services to Young People and Survivors of Sexual Abuse 10
Brian Matthew (1928-2017), English broadcaster who worked for the BBC for 63 years (1954-2017)
Sir Tobie Matthew (1577-1655), English MP, courtier, diplomat and writer
Tobias Matthew (1546-1628), Archbishop of York, statesman and writer
Gordon Matthew Sumner CBE (b. 1951), English Rock musician, known by the nickname "Sting", recipient of sixteen Grammy Awards, and an Oscar nomination for best song
John Matthew Stafford (b. 1988), American football quarterback for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League, winning quarterback of Super Bowl LVI in 2022
James Matthew Lee PC (1937-2023), Canadian politician who was the 26th premier of Prince Edward Island from 1981 to 1986

Citations +

Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) RAJAH 1849. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1849Rajah.htm
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) The SIR EDWARD PARRY 1849. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1849SirEdwardParry.htm
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 7th April 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/emma-eugenia
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 4th November 2011). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
"Birthday and New Year Honours Lists (1940 to 2019)." Issue 62507, 28 December 2018 | London Gazette, The Gazette, Dec. 2018, www.thegazette.co.uk/honours-lists