Matteson History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland
Ireland

The west coast of Scotland and the rocky Hebrides islands are the ancient home of the Matteson family. The root of their name is the son of Matthew. 1 In Gaelic, the name was spelled M'Mhathain or Mathanach. The latter names in Gaelic were probably derived from Mac Mhathghamhuin which means son of the bear. Indeed, early references of the name have reference to the Scottish bear. 2 3

Today, early legal records provide a plethora of information about the family with various early spellings. Some of the first records include, "Robertus filius Mathei [who] witnessed a charter by Walter filius Alani, a. 1177. John Mathyson and Michael Mathowson were outlawed as part guilty of the slaughter of Walter de Ogilvy, Sheriff of Angus, in 1392." 3

Early Origins of the Matteson family

The surname Matteson was first found in the Scottish Highlands were they could be found in Lochalsh, Lochcarron and Kintail. They are said to descend from Gilleoin of the ancient and royal house of Lorne. They gave their allegiance to the Clan MacDonald, the Lord of the Isles. Kenneth MacMathan (Cormac Mac Mathian) was the constable of Eilean Donan castle and is recorded in most accounts of the invasion of King Haakon IV of Norway against Scotland in the 13th century. One accounts suggests that McMathan and his clansmen fought under the Earl of Ross, defeating Haaken at Largs in 1263.

There is a record of Kermac Macmaghan in Inverness, receiving 20 cows from the Earl of Ross in 1264. "In the Norse Saga he is called Kjarmak son of Makamal = Corniac Macmathan. The Siol Mhathain, a sept of Matheson, in an old Gaelic song appears as Siol Mhothan. Matheson has been adopted as the English form of the name simply on account of the similarity of sound." 3

Early History of the Matteson family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Matteson research. Another 418 words (30 lines of text) covering the years 1263, 1400, 1411, 1427, 1498, 1514, 1539, 1570, 1600, 1631, 1683, 1688, 1715, 1719, 1796, 1820, 1851, 1878 and 1963 are included under the topic Early Matteson History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Matteson Spelling Variations

Spelling and translation were not standardized practices until the last few centuries. Spelling variations are extremely common among early Scottish names. Matteson has been spelled Mathieson, MacMaghan, MacMathan MacMaken, Mathie, Mann and many more.

Early Notables of the Matteson family

Notable amongst the Clan from early times was Margaret Matson, one of two women tried in Philadelphia for witchcraft in 1683; Sir James Nicolas Sutherland Matheson (1796-1878), born in Shiness, Lairg, who made a great fortune in the opium trade, and was created the 1st Baronet of Lewis in 1851. His family proceeded to buy the former Clan territories: James Matheson...
Another 60 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Matteson Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Matteson Ranking

In the United States, the name Matteson is the 4,419^th most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. 4

Migration of the Matteson family to Ireland

Some of the Matteson family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 30 words (2 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Matteson migration to the United States +

Numerous Scottish settlers settled along the east coast of the colonies that would become the United States and Canada. Others traveled to the open country of the west. At the time of the American War of Independence, some remained in the United States, while those who remained loyal to the crown went north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. The highland games and Clan societies that sprang up across North America in the 20th century have helped many Scots to recover parts of their lost traditions. Research into passenger and immigration lists has revealed some of the very first Mattesons to arrive in North America:

Matteson Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Charles S Matteson, aged 25, who landed in New York, NY in 1870 5

Contemporary Notables of the name Matteson (post 1700) +

Tompkins Harrison Matteson (1813-1884), American painter, known for his historical, patriotic, and religious themes
Silas Matteson (1819-1895), American politician in Wisconsin, the first postmaster of New Cassell, Wisconsin
Orsamus Benajah Matteson (1805-1889), American lawyer and politician, Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New York
Clifford Virgil Matteson (1861-1931), American professional baseball player who pitched one game in Major League Baseball for the 1884 St. Louis Maroons
Bob Matteson (b. 1952), retired American soccer player, member of the 1974 United States National Team
Steven R. Matteson (b. 1965), American typeface designer who has designed the font family Segoe for Microsoft and the Droid font collection for Android
John Matteson (b. 1961), American professor of English at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York City, awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Biography in 2008 for his first book, Eden's Outcasts: The Story of Louisa May Alcott and Her Father
Troy Jason Matteson (b. 1979), American professional PGA golfer who has had 2 PGA Tour wins
Joel Aldrich Matteson (1808-1873), American politician, 10th Governor of Illinois (1853-1857)
Richmond Albert "Rich" Matteson (1929-1993), American jazz artist, collegiate music educator, international jazz clinician, big band leader, and jazz composer/arranger

The Matteson Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Fac et Spera
Motto Translation: Do and hope.

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
"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)