Matthieson History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland
Ireland

The surname Matthieson 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 Matthieson family

The surname Matthieson 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 Matthieson family

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

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

Migration of the Matthieson family to Ireland

Some of the Matthieson 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.

Matthieson migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Matthieson Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Kenneth Matthieson, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1842 aboard the ship Clydeside