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Matthews Family History

Matthews Surname Meaning

English and Irish (Ulster and County Louth): patronymic from the personal name Matthew. In North America, this surname has absorbed various cognates from other languages such as German Matthäus (from the personal name Matthäus from Latin Matthaeus) and Slovenian Matavž (from an obsolete vernacular form of the personal name Matevž from Latin Matthaeus).

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Irish: Anglicized form of Mac Mathghamhna (see McMahon).

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


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Where is the Matthews family from?

You can see how Matthews families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Matthews family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Matthews families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1911 there were 806 Matthews families living in Ontario. This was about 56% of all the recorded Matthews's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Matthews families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Matthews surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Matthews ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Housekeeper were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Matthews. 30% of Matthews men worked as a Farmer and 13% of Matthews women worked as a Housekeeper. Some less common occupations for Americans named Matthews were Farmers Son and Dressmaker.

View Census Data for Matthews | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1921

  • Farmer
    30%
  • Labourer
    8%
  • Laborer
    7%
  • Farmers Son
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Housekeeper
    13%
  • Student
    9%
  • Teacher
    9%
  • Dressmaker
    8%

What Matthews family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 1 million census records available for the last name Matthews. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Matthews census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Matthews

Passenger Lists

There are 112,000 immigration records available for the last name Matthews. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Matthews immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 147,000 military records available for the last name Matthews. For the veterans among your Matthews ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Matthews military records

You've only scratched the surface of Matthews family history

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What is the average Matthews lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Matthews life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1943, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Matthews in 1940 was 44, and 74 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Matthews

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Matthews ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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