Mattis History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Italy
Scotland
Wales
Ireland

The Clan from whom the Mattis family descends began among the ancient Dalriadan kingdom of the west coast of Scotland. Their name comes from 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 Mattis family

The surname Mattis 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 Mattis family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Mattis 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 Mattis History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Mattis Spelling Variations

Historical recordings of the name Mattis include many spelling variations. They are the result of repeated translations of the name from Gaelic to English and inconsistencies in spelling rules. They include Mathieson, MacMaghan, MacMathan MacMaken, Mathie, Mann and many more.

Early Notables of the Mattis 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 Mattis Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Mattis Ranking

In the United States, the name Mattis is the 10,736^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 4

Migration of the Mattis family to Ireland

Some of the Mattis 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.

Mattis migration to the United States +

Significant portions of the populations of both the United States and Canada are still made up of the ancestors of Dalriadan families. Some of those in Canada originally settled the United States, but went north as United Empire Loyalists in the American War of Independence. The late 19th and early 20th centuries saw the ancestors of many Scots on both sides of the border begin to recover their collective national heritage through Clan societies and highland games. Some of the first North American settlers carried this name or one of its variants:

Mattis Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Dorothea Mattis, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1794 5
Friederich Christian Mattis, aged 11, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1794 5
John Casper Mattis, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1794 5
Philipp Heinrich Mattis, aged 9, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1794 5

Contemporary Notables of the name Mattis (post 1700) +

Doug Mattis (1966-2023), American figure skater, the 1985 Grand Prix International St. Gervais champion, 1985 Nebelhorn Trophy silver medalist, 1986 Novarat Trophy silver medalist, and 1985 U.S. national junior champion
James Norman "Mad Dog" Mattis (b. 1950), American former 11th Commander of United States Central Command, 26th United States Secretary of Defense (2017-)
Marguerite A. Mattis, American Democratic Party politician, Erie County Register and Recorder of Deeds; Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Pennsylvania, 1956, 1960 6
Charles D. Mattis, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from Illinois 15th District, 1992 6
Firmin Mattis (1929-2024), French alpine skier, who competed in the men's slalom at the 1952 Winter Olympics
Mattis Mathiesen (b. 1924), Norwegian photographer and film director

The Mattis 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)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 7) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html