Matthews

An Irish surname of Antrim and Dublin. In the 2010 US census it was carried by 131,303 people, the 226th most common surname in the country.

Matthews is the anglicised form of two distinct Irish names. Some you can hear in the English name; others look and sound nothing like it, and were simply swapped for it.

Mac Mathghamhna. This family stood in the barony of Moyarta in Co. Clare, Co. Armagh, and Co. Monaghan.

Maitiú, son of Matthew. This family stood in Co. Tipperary.

Where the name comes from

Matthews here is usually Mac Mathghamhna, son of Mathghamhain, a bear, and there are two great families of it. The MacMahons of Thomond are a branch of the O'Briens and descend from Mahon, son of Murtagh More O'Brien, King of Ireland. Their patrimony (the land a family held by inheritance) was Corca Bhaiscinn, the baronies of Moyarta and Clonderlaw in the south-west of Co. Clare, and the last chief of the name was accidentally killed by his own son at Bearhaven in 1602. To this family belonged Marshal MacMahon, Duke of Magenta and President of the French Republic.

The MacMahons of Oriel were formerly one of the most powerful families in Ulster. On the decline of the O'Carrolls in the 13th century they became lords of Oriel, and kept that rank down to the reign of Elizabeth.

Maitiú is the plain one, son of Matthew. Of the several scattered families of it the most distinguished were the Mathews of Thomastown, Co. Tipperary, to which belonged Father Theobald Mathew, the celebrated Apostle of Temperance.

The Giant's Causeway at twilight with wet hexagonal basalt columns stretching to the sea and long exposure blurred waves
The Giant's Causeway, Co. Antrim

The Matthews counties, photographed

Antrim

The Antrim coast road runs about 25 miles between the cliffs and the sea, with nine glens coming down to it. The rock is basalt, the same flow that formed the Giant's Causeway. Scotland is 12 miles off at the narrowest point and visible on a clear day.

The iconic Dark Hedges beech tree tunnel near Armoy in County Antrim with intertwined branches forming a brooding canopyThe Dark Hedges, Co. Antrim Co. Antrim Long exposure of Pan's Rock with its footbridge at dawn on the Antrim Causeway Coast, silky water and blurred clouds, Rathlin Island on the horizonPan's Rock, Co. Antrim Co. Antrim Sunrise over Colliery Bay with Fair Head cliffs and mountains, Co. Antrim, fine art landscape photograph by Peter CoxColliery Bay & Fair Head, Co. Antrim Co. Antrim Dunluce Castle on coastal cliffs with long exposure sea, Co. Antrim, fine art landscape photograph by Peter CoxDunluce Castle, Co. Antrim Co. Antrim Black and white photograph of a rainstorm sweeping across the Skerries islands off the North Antrim coast near PortrushRainstorm, the Skerries, Co. Antrim Co. Antrim Sunset over Bengore Head with waves rolling over rocks, Co. Antrim, Ireland — fine art landscape photograph by Peter CoxBengore Head, Co. Antrim Co. Antrim Sunset over the Skerries coast in County Antrim with warm light reflecting on wet sand and rock formationsThe Skerries, Co. Antrim Co. Antrim

Dublin

Dublin is a county as well as a city. The bay has Howth at the north end and Killiney Hill at the south, the Muglins are a pair of rocks off Dalkey, and the Dublin Mountains start about half an hour from the city centre.

Moonlight reflecting on the sea near the Muglins lighthouse off Dalkey Island, Dublin, with the Kish light on the horizonThe Muglins by Moonlight II Co. Dublin Long exposure panoramic view of the White Rock swimming platform at Killiney Bay, Dublin, floating in misty high-tide watersThe White Rock, Killiney Bay, Co. Dublin Co. Dublin Heron fishing at dawn on the Dublin coast — fine art wildlife photograph by Peter CoxHeron, Co. Dublin Co. Dublin

All Antrim prints · All Dublin prints

Notable bearers

Stanley Matthews (1915-2000), association football player, association football coach, and autobiographer.

Dave Matthews (born 1967), actor, singer, and musician.

Michael Matthews (born 1990), sport cyclist.

Auston Matthews (born 1997), ice hockey player.

Vincent Matthews (born 1947), athletics competitor and sprinter.

About this page

The counties on this page are where the name was thickest on the ground in Ireland a century and a half ago, not a claim about any one family. Names moved around inside the country as much as they left it. The photographs are mine, made in the counties named.

More Irish surnames: Smith · Brown · Miller · Wilson · Anderson · Thomas · Taylor · Moore · Jackson · Martin · Lee · Thompson

How common the name was

In 1890, 78 births were registered under Matthews in Ireland, most of them in Antrim, Down, Dublin, and Louth.

Ulster 32
Munster 5
Connacht 3
Leinster no figure printed
Ireland 78

Down and Louth are the ones I haven't worked in.