Show ContentsMathies History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The surname Mathies is a patronymic name derived from the well known first name Matthew. This name is ultimately derived from the Hebrew personal name "Mattathaigh," meaning "gift of Jehovah;" it was Latinized as Matthaeus and Mathaeus. It was introduced to England by the Normans, and quickly became quite a popular name.

Early Origins of the Mathies family

The surname Mathies was first found in the Domesday Book in 1086, listed as Mathiu and Matheus. They family came to England following the invasion of William the Conquerer in 1066.

Early History of the Mathies family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Mathies research. Another 74 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1260, 1273, 1395, 1546, 1577, 1628, 1655, 1790, 1797, 1824, 1856, 1863, 1889, 1890 and 1941 are included under the topic Early Mathies History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Mathies Spelling Variations

Multitudes of spelling variations are a hallmark of Anglo Norman names. Most of these names evolved in the 11th and 12th century, in the time after the Normans introduced their own Norman French language into a country where Old and Middle English had no spelling rules and the languages of the court were French and Latin. To make matters worse, medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, so names frequently appeared differently in the various documents in which they were recorded. The name was spelled Matthew, Matthews, Matthewson, Matheson, Mathew, Mathews and many more.

Early Notables of the Mathies family

Outstanding amongst 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...
Another 34 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Mathies Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ireland Migration of the Mathies family to Ireland

Some of the Mathies family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 108 words (8 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Mathies migration to the United States +

Because of this political and religious unrest within English society, many people decided to immigrate to the colonies. Families left for Ireland, North America, and Australia in enormous numbers, traveling at high cost in extremely inhospitable conditions. The New World in particular was a desirable destination, but the long voyage caused many to arrive sick and starving. Those who made it, though, were welcomed by opportunities far greater than they had known at home in England. Many of these families went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Mathies or a variant listed above:

Mathies Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Johann Mathies, who settled in Philadelphia in 1768
  • John Mathies, who arrived in New York, NY in 1774 [1]
  • William Mathies, who landed in New York, NY in 1774 [1]
Mathies Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Karl Leopold Mathies, who landed in Iowa in 1849 [1]
  • Henry Mathies, who landed in St Clair County, Illinois in 1854 [1]
  • W A Mathies, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1875 [1]

Contemporary Notables of the name Mathies (post 1700) +

  • Sergeant Archibald Mathies, American soldier awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor in 1944


  1. 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)


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