Show ContentsMathis History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

As with many French family names, the distinguished surname Mathis is rich in ancient heritage. The earliest forms of hereditary surnames in France were the patronymic surnames, which are derived from the father's given name, and metronymic surnames, which are derived from the mother's given name. The name Mathis is derived from the Hebrew Biblical given name Matityahu (Matthew), meaning "gift of God."

Early Origins of the Mathis family

The surname Mathis was first found in Burgundy (French: Bourgogne), an administrative and historical region of east-central France where the family has held a family seat since early times.

The earliest member of this family was recorded under the name of Mathieu de Vendôme, who died in 1286, and was the Abbot of St. Denis, and was the Regent of France when Saint Louis was on a crusade. The family branched out into: Lyonnais, where they were known as the Mathieu of Mathieu; to Alsace where they settled at Faviers and where they were the Barons Mathieu; to île-de-France where they held a family seat at Mauvieres and were Barons of the Empire in 1810; and to Comtes when they held a family seat at Rouergue and held the title of Count de la Redorte. The Mathieu family from Bourgogne, which originated from Nivernais, goes back to the time when Pierre Mathieu was living, at the end of the fifteenth century.

Among his descendants were: Hugues, an Elect of Charollais in 1682; Christophe J. A. Mathieu de Dombasle, an agronomist from the province of Lorraine, who invented a certain type of plow; David-Maurice-Joseph Mathieu, a General who was later made a Count of the Empire in 1810; Joseph-Ignace Mathieu de Mauvières, Mayor of Saint-Forget, who was named a Baron of the Empire in 1810; and Philippe Mathieu, 1808-1865, a politician and meteorologist.

Jean Mathieu, born in 1637, son of Jean and Isabelle (née Monnachau), was a French butcher that travelled from Angoulême, France to Canada in the 17th century. After arriving in Quebec he married Anne Du Tertre, born in 1654, daughter of Pierre and Louise-Anne (née Goulet), at Château-Richer on 19th November 1669. They settled together at Ange-Gardien until Anne's death on 14th April 1696. Jean passed away on 1st May 1699. [1]

Early History of the Mathis family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Mathis research. Another 33 words (2 lines of text) covering the years 1657 and 1710 are included under the topic Early Mathis History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Mathis Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Mathieu, Mathieue, Mathieues, Mathieus, Mathieux, Mathis, Matieu, Matieue, Mathius, Matieues, Matieus, Matieux, Mathioux, Mathioue and many more.

Early Notables of the Mathis family

More information is included under the topic Early Mathis Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Mathis Ranking

In the United States, the name Mathis is the 483rd most popular surname with an estimated 59,688 people with that name. [2] However, in France, the name Mathis is ranked the 594th most popular surname with an estimated 7,896 people with that name. [3]


United States Mathis migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Mathis Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Ann Mathis, who landed in Virginia in 1636 [4]
Mathis Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Hans Jacob Mathis, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1733 [4]
Mathis Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Christian Mathis, who arrived in New York in 1847 [4]
  • Cathrine Mathis, aged 26, who landed in New York, NY in 1852 [4]
  • Jean Mathis, aged 57, who arrived in New York, NY in 1852 [4]
  • John C Mathis, who landed in Indiana in 1852 [4]
  • Madeleine Mathis, aged 23, who arrived in New York, NY in 1852 [4]
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Mathis (post 1700) +

  • Johnny Mathis (b. 1935), American popular music singer, inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame and recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences
  • Bill Mathis (1938-2020), American college and professional football player for the New York Titans/Jets (1960–1969)
  • Marvin Dawson Mathis (1940-2017), American politician, Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Georgia (1971-1981)
  • Samantha Mathis (b. 1970), American Screen Actors Guild Award and Young Artist Award nominated actress, American Psycho (2000), Buried (2010) and Broken Arrow (1996)
  • Robert Nathan Mathis (b. 1981), American NFL football outside linebacker for the Indianapolis Colts
  • Reginald Levi Mathis (b. 1956), former American football linebacker who played from 1979 to 1990
  • Rashean Jamil Mathis (b. 1980), American NFL football cornerback for the Detroit Lions
  • Kevin Bryant Mathis (b. 1974), former American NFL football cornerback who played from 1997 to 2006
  • Jeffrey Stephen "Jeff" Mathis (b. 1983), American Major League Baseball catcher for the Miami Marlin
  • Douglas Alan "Doug" Mathis (b. 1983), American Major League Baseball pitcher
  • ... (Another 15 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Arrow Air Flight 1285
  • Mr. Donald Lee Mathis (1966-1985), American Private from Las Vegas, Nevada, USA who died in the Arrow Air Flight 1285 crash [5]
St. Francis Dam
  • Mr. Henry F. Mathis, American resident in Santa Clarita killed when the St. Francis Dam failed and flooded the area in 1928
  • Mrs. Dorothy Caroline Mathis, (nee Rottman), American resident in Santa Clarita killed when the St. Francis Dam failed and flooded the area in 1928
  • Miss Dorothy Fay Mathis, American resident in Santa Clarita killed when the St. Francis Dam failed and flooded the area in 1928


Suggested Readings for the name Mathis +

  • The Mathis Family of Little Egg Harbor by Murray Harris.

  1. Olivier, Reginald L. Your Ancient Canadian Family Ties. Logan: The Everton Publishers, Inc., P.O. Box 368, 1972. Print
  2. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  3. http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
  4. 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)
  5. American War Memorials - Flight 1285. (Retrieved 2016, August 24) . Retrieved from http://www.uswarmemorials.org/html/monument_details.php?SiteID=317&MemID=550


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