Surname Matthießen - Meaning and Origin

Matthießen: What does the surname Matthießen mean?

The last name Matthießen is a German patronymic surname, derived from the given name Matthias. The given name Matthias originates from the Hebrew name Mattityahu meaning “Gift of God”. It is a combination of the Greek words mattheo, meaning “gift” and theos meaning “God”.

Matthießen was first recorded in the 16th century, becoming a popular surname in Germany and across the region. From there, the surname has spread across the world through immigration.

People who possess this patronymic name may be descendants of someone with the given name Matthias, or could be descendants of someone who was related to someone with the given name Matthias. This means that people who share this name may have some distant relation to each other, but may not necessarily be blood-related.

Today, the Matthießen surname still exists but is also very rare. Those who carry the last name Matthießen may be related to each other and could have traits that stem from the original holder of the name. Although the original meaning of the Matthießen name is “Gift of God”, this could also be taken to mean that today's holders of the surname have been blessed in some way.

Matthießen: Where does the name Matthießen come from?

The last name Matthießen is most commonly found in Germany today. According to German surname statistics from 2016, the name is most frequent in the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein, particularly in the region of Flensburg-Schleswig. Other states with a high concentration of Matthießens include Hamburg, Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia, and Bremen. The name is also found in the United States, mostly in states with large German-American communities such as Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota, and Nebraska.

The name is thought to be of German-Scandinavian origins, though it’s exact origin is unknown. Etymological studies indicate that the name could have derived from Matthias, a given name found in both Scandinavia and Central Europe, coming from the Hebrew Mattityahu meaning “gift of YAHWE”. Its modern spelling -- Matthießen -- is derived from the German spelling and pronunciation.

The Matthießen family can trace its roots to 17th-century Germany, and the name has likely been in existence for hundreds of years. At least since the late 1800s, the Matthießen name has had some presence in the United States, where it is often pronounced as Matty-seen.

Variations of the surname Matthießen

Matthießen is a German surname derived from the personal name 'Matthias' and the suffix '-sen', which indicates 'son of'. The German spelling is the most typical and most widely used, though certain variants can be found in different areas.

In Germany, surnames such as Mattiesen, Mattheßen, and Mattheisen can be found. In Dutch speaking areas such as the Netherlands and Belgium, variants like Matteessen, Mattheussen and Mattheüsen are commonly used. North Americanized versions include Matheson, Mathes, and Mathea.

In Sweden, the spellings Matthis and Mathis can be found. More uncommon variations are variants of Matthies such as Mathe, Metz, Mette, Meier and Meinert, all of which can be derived from one common ancestor.

Within the family itself different members may choose to spell their name differently depending on certain geographical contexts. All variants, however, refer to the same origin and family.

Famous people with the name Matthießen

• Johannes Matthiae (1719–1793), German-Danish librarian
• Sebastian Matthiae (1763–1835), Danish mayor
• Friedrich Matthiae (1798–1884), Danish historian
• Christoph Mathiessen (born 1992), German footballer
• Julius Mathiessen (1862–1922), Danish botanist
• Clara Mathiessen (born 1990), Danish multi-disciplinary artist
• Mads Matthiessen (1820–1888), Danish theologian and church historian
• Niels Mathiessen (1883–1970), Danish typographer and teacher
• Peter Matthiessen (1927–2014), American novelist, naturalist
• Johanna Mathiessen (born 1947), Swiss historian

Other surnames

Matthieß