Mathew
A spelling of Matthew, ultimately from the biblical name meaning “gift of God.”
The #2,612 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 22,360 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Mathew is a spelling variant of Matthew, the English form of the biblical name from Hebrew Mattityahu, meaning “gift of Yahweh” or “gift of God.” Through Greek and Latin, the name entered medieval English in forms like Mathew and Matthew. As a surname, it was used for someone identified as the son of a man called Matthew, or simply as a hereditary family name derived from that given name.
History
The surname is treated in 19th-century surname books as essentially the same as Matthew, with Mathew appearing as one of several spellings. Historical records also show it occurring as a byname in medieval England. In later centuries it persisted alongside Matthew/Mathews, though the shorter spelling is less common in modern usage.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
It is part of a very large surname family that generated many different forms, including Matthews, Matheson, and Mayhew.
From the historical record
“as a translation of Macmahon, q.v. MATHEW = Matthew, q.v. MATHEWS = Matthews, q.v. MATH IAS, V. Matthew. Mathias is also a Continental Teut. form. MATHIESON, 1 for Matthewson, q.v. MATHISON, I Prob. occ. also for Mather- son, q.v. MATHWIN (Eng.) Power -Friend [A.-Sax.”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)