Matteis History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Italy
Scotland
Ireland

The surname Matteis 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 Matteis family

The surname Matteis 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 Matteis family

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

Matteis 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 Matteis 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 Matteis Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Matteis family to Ireland

Some of the Matteis 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.

Matteis migration to the United States +

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 Matteis name or one of its variants:

Matteis Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Henrich Matteis, who arrived in New York in 1710
Jacob Matteis, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1741

Contemporary Notables of the name Matteis (post 1700) +

Stephanie Matteis, Canadian CBC News reporter
Maria De Matteis (1898-1988), Italian BAFTA Award winning costume designer for her work in Waterloo (1970)
Giuseppe Matteis, Italian cyclist who won the Gran Premio della Liberazione in 1971
Nicola Matteis (1670-1713), Italian Baroque violinist in London
Paolo de Matteis (1662-1728), Italian painter and sculptor from Piano Vetrale, Salerno