Show ContentsMattis History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The surname Mattis is a patronymic surname created from the personal name Matthew.

Early Origins of the Mattis family

The surname Mattis was first found in Glamorganshire (Welsh: Sir Forgannwg), a region of South Wales, anciently part of the Welsh kingdom of Glywysing, where they held a family seat from early times and their first records appeared on the early census rolls taken by the early Kings of Britain to determine the rate of taxation of their subjects.

Early History of the Mattis family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Mattis research. Another 109 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1378, 1400, 1408, 1484, 1546, 1577, 1600, 1628, 1655, 1656, 1660, 1676, 1751, 1797 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Mattis History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Mattis Spelling Variations

Welsh surnames are relatively few in number, but they have an inordinately large number of spelling variations. There are many factors that explain the preponderance of Welsh variants, but the earliest is found during the Middle Ages when Welsh surnames came into use. Scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, which often resulted in a single person's name being inconsistently recorded over his lifetime. The transliteration of Welsh names into English also accounts for many of the spelling variations: the unique Brythonic Celtic language of the Welsh had many sounds the English language was incapable of accurately reproducing. It was also common for members of a same surname to change their names slightly, in order to signify a branch loyalty within the family, a religious adherence, or even patriotic affiliations. For all of these reasons, the many spelling variations of particular Welsh names are very important. The surname Mattis has occasionally been spelled Mathews, Mathew, Matthew, Matthews, Mathewes and others.

Early Notables of the Mattis family

Prominent amongst the family during the late Middle Ages was Sir David Mathew (1400-1484) was a Welsh knight, Lord of Llandaff, Seneschal of Llandaff Cathedral, one of the ten Great Barons of Glamorgan, Marcher Lord and Standard Bearer of England; Pope Matthew I of Alexandria (Matheos) (1378-1408), 87th Coptic Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St...
Another 59 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 10,736th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1

Ireland 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 92 words (7 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Mattis migration to the United States +

In the 1800s and 1900s, many Welsh families left for North America, in search of land, work, and freedom. Those who made the trip successfully helped contribute to the growth of industry, commerce, and the cultural heritage of both Canada and the United States. In the immigration and passenger lists were a number of people bearing the name Mattis

Mattis Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Dorothea Mattis, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1794 2
  • Friederich Christian Mattis, aged 11, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1794 2
  • John Casper Mattis, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1794 2
  • Philipp Heinrich Mattis, aged 9, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1794 2

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 3
  • Charles D. Mattis, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from Illinois 15th District, 1992 3
  • 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: Y fyn Duw a fydd
Motto Translation: What God wills, will be.


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. 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)
  3. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 7) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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