Surname Matheas - Meaning and Origin
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Matheas: What does the surname Matheas mean?
The last name Matheas is an archaic spelling of the Greek name Matthaios, which comes from the Hebrew name Mattathiah. The name Mattathiah is derived from the Hebrew term mattathiah (מַתַּתְיָה), meaning “gift of the Lord” or “gift of Yahweh”. In Hebrew, mattathiah is composed of the elements mata (מָתַן), meaning “gift,” and Yah (יָה), referring to the God of the Israelites.
The Matheas surname can also be traced to ancient Greek and Latin, when variations of the Matthaios name were used. In Greek, matheas (ματθεας) could be a variation of an older name Matthiai or Matthaea, meaning “gift of God,” similar to the Hebrew translation. In Latin, the spelling could have been spelled Matthias or Matthaeus.
As a result, Matheas is thought to be a surname of very old religious origin, referring to the devotees of God or Yahweh, and used to refer to a person who had received a divine gift from God. Given its strong religious background, the surname likely had many other variants depending on the language and dialect. Today, the Matheas name is still popular in many countries and cultures.
Order DNA origin analysisMatheas: Where does the name Matheas come from?
The last name Matheas appears to be more common in countries of Eastern Europe than anywhere else in the world today. In particular, it is most prevalent in Lithuania, Estonia, and Latvia, with Lithuania appearing to have the highest concentration of the surname. It may also be found in other nearby countries such as Poland, Belarus, and Ukraine.
It is believed that the Matheas surname stems from the Old Norse and Germanic root ‘mat’, which has been linked to the Latin word 'mater', meaning 'mother'. This connection of 'mother' likely indicates that the ancestors of those bearing the surname had a connection to a certain maternal lineage.
Matheas may also have been derived from the ancient Greek name Mathaios, which is a diminutive of the Greek name Matthias, meaning 'gift from God'. It is thought the surname may have been given to those with special religious significance, and could have been used as a form of reverence towards certain individuals.
The Matheas surname is quite an uncommon one today, but can still be found in the Eastern European countries mentioned. It also has an interesting history, which makes it a particularly intriguing and unique surname.
Variations of the surname Matheas
The surname Matheas is derived from the personal name Matthew, which ultimately comes from the Hebrew name Mattityahu meaning “Gift of God.” This surname has numerous spelling variations and variants, as well as patronymic (descendant) names, including: Mathews, Mathias, Mathys, Matthees, Matthias, Matthes, Mathes, MacMath, MacMathes, MacMaths, MacMates and MacMathews.
The patronymic surnames of Matheas are Matheasson, Mathieson, Mathewsone, Mathiesone, Mathison, Matheison, MacMateosanaich and MacMatheas. These are often derived from Matthew's son, and are primarily found in Scotland.
The variants of the surname Matheas include Math, Matheus, Matias, Mattheüs and Matthaios. The Welsh variant of Matheas is Matthew, as well as Methiani, and Methias in Ireland. The common misspelling, Mathues, is derived from the Greek name Matheus, which comes from the Hebrew name Mattityahu.
In some cases the Hungarian variant Madai, is derived from the name of their founder, Maros-Torda, which consists of the personal name Mathaeus plus the Hungarian place name element “Turd” (River Tisza). Additionally, the Danish variant Madsen is usually derived from the given name Mads, which is a shortened version of Mathæus.
All variations of the surname Matheas signify descendants of Matthew. The variations are reflective of each culture's way of indicating the same European origin, and as such, the attributes of an individual carrying a surname with such an origin may be considered as being reliable, honest, and hardworking.
Famous people with the name Matheas
- Dimitrios Matheas: Greek actor, comedian, director, writer, and theatrical composer.
- Nicholas Matheas: American actor who has appeared in the Netflix movie, The Painted Bird.
- Alex Matheas: American Actor, best known for his role as Ryan in the television series, The Flash.
- Chris Matheas: American voice actor and producer, who has provided the voices of characters in Metal Gear Solid, Final Fantasy XV, and other video games.
- John Matheas: Greek lawyer, professor, former Member of the European Parliament, and former chairman of the Democratic Social Movement party.
- Kelly Matheas: American cabaret artist, composer, and singer.
- Lillian Matheas: Australian actor, known for her roles in the television shows, Emmerdale and Out of the Blue.
- Mike Matheas: American documentary filmmaker, known for his work on the films, Blue Gold: American Jeans and Inventing Our Life: The Kibbutz Experiment.
- Nassos Matheas: Greek sculptor, best known for his colossal bronze sculptures.
- Vassilis Matheas: Greek actor, best known for his role in the television miniseries, Who Specialized in Crime.