Show ContentsMathiesen History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Mathiesen

What does the name Mathiesen mean?

The surname Mathiesen 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 Mathiesen family

The surname Mathiesen 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 Mathiesen family

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

Mathiesen Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names tend to be marked by an enormous number of spelling variations. This is largely due to the fact that Old and Middle English lacked any spelling rules when Norman French was introduced in the 11th century. The languages of the English courts at that time were French and Latin. These various languages mixed quite freely in the evolving social milieu. The final element of this mix is that medieval scribes spelled words according to their sounds rather than any definite rules, so a name was often spelled in as many different ways as the number of documents it appeared in. The name was spelled Matthew, Matthews, Matthewson, Matheson, Mathew, Mathews and many more.

Early Notables of the Mathiesen family

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, England and North America. Shailer Mathews (1863-1941), the...
Another 34 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Mathiesen Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Mathiesen family to Ireland

Some of the Mathiesen 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.

Migration of the Mathiesen family

Because of the political and religious discontent in England, families began to migrate abroad in enormous numbers. Faced with persecution and starvation at home, the open frontiers and generally less oppressive social environment of the New World seemed tantalizing indeed to many English people. The trip was difficult, and not all made it unscathed, but many of those who did get to Canada and the United States made important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers with Mathiesen name or one of its variants: Francis Matthews, who settled in New Hampshire in 1639; Benjamin Mathews, who settled in Virginia in 1653; Ann Matthews, who immigrated to Barbados in 1659.


Contemporary Notables of the name Mathiesen (post 1700) +

  • Thomas Mathiesen (1933-2021), Norwegian sociologist
  • Pia Bech Mathiesen (1962-2016), Danish designer and entrepreneur
  • Per Mathiesen (1885-1971), Norwegian Olympic gold medalist gymnast
  • Paul Mathiesen (b. 1977), Norwegian singer, best known as the vocalist of Susperia
  • Niels Mathiesen (1829-1900), Norwegian politician and merchant
  • Mattis Mathiesen (b. 1924), Norwegian photographer and film director
  • Hein-Arne Mathiesen (b. 1971), Norwegian World Cup ski jumper
  • Haaken L. Mathiesen (1858-1930), Norwegian landowner and businessperson
  • Haagen Mathiesen (1759-1842), Norwegian timber merchant, ship-owner and politician
  • ... (Another 3 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Mathiesen family +

SS Norge
  • Mr. Karl Andreas Mathiesen (1882-1904), Danish 2nd baker who was a crew member aboard the ship "SS Norge" when she ran aground and sunk on 28th June 1904, he died

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