Matock History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Wales
Ireland

The Welsh surname Matock is derived from the early Welsh personal name Madoc. This was also written as Madawc and Madog, from the Old Welsh name Matoc, which had the literal meaning of goodly. 1

Early Origins of the Matock family

The surname Matock was first found in the Domesday Book of 1086 where the singular name Madoch is recorded in Gloucestershire. 2

"Madoc an ancient Welsh personal name. One Madoch was a tenant in chief in Herefordshire at the making of Domesday. He was doubtless a Welshman by birth." 3

Dusting off more old references, we found Oenus filius Madoc in the Pipe Rolls for Salop (Shropshire) in 1160; Maddock le Waleys in the Assize Rolls for Staffordshire in 1283; and William Madoc in the Hundredorum Rolls for Shropshire in 1274. In Cheshire, Robert Mattok was listed there in the Assize Rolls for 1290 and Robert Madduk and Stephen Madek was found in Colchester in 1297. 4

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 included: Madoc de Sotton; Tudor ab Madoc; and Maddoc le Estrange. All were from Shropshire. 5

"Maddock and Maddocks, forms of the ancient Welsh personal name of Madoc, have characterised Wales and the English border shires for ages. Madoch was the name of a Herefordshire tenant in Domesday times, whilst Maddox is still an old Hereford name. In the reign of Edward. I. there were persons of the name of Madoc in Shropshire (H. R.), in which county the names of Maddock and Maddocks still occur. Maddock is now a frequent name in Chester and its neighbourhood, and John Maddock was mayor of Chester in 1676 (Ormerod). Maddocks was the name of a very ancient family of Llanfrynach, Brecknockshire (Jones' "Brecknockshire")." 6

Early History of the Matock family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Matock research. Another 116 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1571, 1598, 1612, 1697, 1736 and 1759 are included under the topic Early Matock History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Matock Spelling Variations

Although there are comparatively few Welsh surnames, they have a great many spelling variations. Variations of Welsh names began almost immediately after their acceptance within Welsh society. In the Middle Ages, it was up to priests and the few other people that recorded names in official documents to decide how to spell the names that they heard. Variations that occurred because of improper recording increased dramatically as the names were later transliterated into English. The Brythonic Celtic language of Wales, known by natives as Cymraeg, featured many highly inflected sounds that could not be properly captured by the English language. Spelling variations were, however, also carried out according to an individual's design: a branch loyalty within the family, a religious adherence, or even patriotic affiliations were all indicated by the particular variation of one's name. The spelling variations of the name Matock have included Maddox, Maddix, Maddick, Mattick, Matticks, Mattix, Maddock, Maddockes, Maddocks, Madocks, Madox, Madoch, Mattock and many more.

Early Notables of the Matock family

Another 39 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Matock Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Matock family to Ireland

Some of the Matock family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Matock family

Many people from Wales joined the general migration to North America in the 19th and 20th centuries, searching for land, work, and freedom. Like the many other immigrants from the British Isles, they made a significant contribution to the development of Canada and the United States. The Welsh and their descendents added a rich cultural tradition to the newly developed towns, cities, and villages. An investigation of the immigration and passenger lists has revealed a number of people bearing the name Matock: Henry Maddock settled in Delaware in 1682; John Maddock settled in Philadelphia in 1686; John Maddock settled in New Jersey in 1654; Henry Maddocks settled in Maine in 1630.

Citations +

Arthur, William , An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names. London: 1857. Print
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.