Mattison
A surname most often meaning “son of Matthew,” with some historical confusion with other Matt- and Madd- names.
The #4,737 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 41,249 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Mattison is generally an English patronymic surname built from the personal name Matthew, plus -son, meaning “son of Matthew.” Matthew itself comes from the biblical Hebrew name Matityahu, usually understood as “gift of the Lord.” Some 19th-century writers also linked Mattison forms with related names such as Matteson, Mattson, and Madison, but the Matthew derivation is the clearest and most widely supported.
History
The surname is found in Britain and later in North America, with spelling variation reflecting regional pronunciation and record-keeping habits. Historical surname dictionaries often grouped Mattison with other Matthew-based names, and some entries treat it as a straightforward equivalent of Mattinson or Matteson. In the United States it remains a relatively uncommon surname.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
One 19th-century surname dictionary explicitly glossed Mattison as “the son of Matthew.”
From the historical record
“MATTINSON 1 for Matthewson a V MATTISON I '""^ "viaxtnewson, q.v. MATTOCK for Maddock, q.v. MATTOCKS for Maddocks, q.v. MATTS, Matt's (Son) 1^ „.^ MATTSON, Matt's Son / '"^"■ MAUD \ dims, of Matilda: v. under MAUDE J Malkin ante.”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)