Matheson (surname)

Matheson is a surname derived from either an anglicised form of Scottish Gaelic surnames or the patronymic form of a short form of the English Matthew.[1] This English personal name is ultimately derived from the Hebrew Mattathia, which means "gift of God".[2] An early record form of the surname Matheson is Mathyson, recorded in 1392;[3][4] this recorded name literally means "son of Mathi"—Mathi being a pet form of Matthew.[3] Two different Scottish Gaelic surnames have been Anglicised Matheson. One such surname is Mac Mhathghamhuin (Clan Matheson), which became Anglicised Matheson on account of its similar sound.[4][5] This Gaelic surname is of an entirely different etymology than Matheson, as the Gaelic mathghamhuin means "bear".[4][5][6][note 1] Another Gaelic surname Anglicised Matheson is Mac Matha.[4] This Gaelic surname is derived from the patronymic form of a Gaelic form of Matthew[4][5][10] (for example, the modern Scottish Gaelic Mata and Matha are cognates of the English Matthew).[2]

People with the surname

Notes
  1. The English bear translates into modern Scottish Gaelic as mathan,[7] and math-ghamhainn.[8] In modern Scottish Gaelic, the older termination -uinn is rendered -ainn.[9]

See also

References
  1. Matheson Family History, Ancestry.com, retrieved 11 February 2012. This webpage cited: Dictionary of American Family Names, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-508137-4.
  2. Hanks, Patrick; Hardcastle, Kate; Hodges, Flavia (2006), A dictionary of first names, Oxford Paperback Reference (2nd ed.), Oxford University Press, pp. 188–189, ISBN 978-0-19-861060-1.
  3. Reaney, Percy Hilde (1995), Wilson, Richard Middlewood (ed.), A Dictionary of English Surnames (3rd ed.), Oxford University Press, p. 302, ISBN 0-19-863146-4.
  4. Black, George Fraser (1946), The surnames of Scotland: their origin, meaning, and history, New York Public Library, pp. 586–587.
  5. Mackenzie, Alexander; Macbain, Alexander (1900), History of the Mathesons with Genealogies of the various families, Eneas Mackay, p. 148.
  6. Macbain, Alexander (1911), An etymological dictionary of the Gaelic language, Eneas Mackay, p. 244.
  7. Watson, Angus (2005), The essential English-Gaelic dictionary, Birlinn, p. 33, ISBN 978 1 84158106 4. See also: Mark, Colin (2003), The Gaelic-English dictionary, Routledge, p. 421, ISBN 0-203-27706-6. See also: Owen, Robert C. (1993), The modern Gaelic-English dictionary, Gairm, p. 78, ISBN 1 871901 29 4.
  8. Mark, Colin (2003), The Gaelic-English dictionary, Routledge, p. 421, ISBN 0-203-27706-6.
  9. Mark, Colin (2003), The Gaelic-English dictionary, Routledge, p. xii, ISBN 0-203-27706-6.
  10. McMath Family History, Ancestry.com, retrieved 10 July 2012. This webpage cited: Dictionary of American Family Names, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-508137-4.
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