Surname Matthäy - Meaning and Origin
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Matthäy: What does the surname Matthäy mean?
The last name Matthäy is a Germanic surname derived from the personal name Matthaeus, or Matthew. It derives from the Greek for “gift of God” and is one of the most popular last names in Germany and Austria. The surname Matthäy can also be spelled Mathi, Mathies, Mathis, Mathieu, or Mathieu.
Those with the last name Matthäy are believed to be descended from an old Germanic family living in the area at least as far back as the early 15th century. Records of the name dating back to this period include the likes of Dr. Matthi Graf von Blatter (1495 - 1565), a Bavarian military leader and soldier of fortune. His life is celebrated in local history books and his banner is still proudly displayed in the Bavarian town of Neuhausen.
Matthäy is an occupational name, suggesting its original bearer was a person such as a servant or who worked with or collected taxes on behalf of the local landowners. It can also be derived from the biblical first name of Matthew, though given the presence of some Matthäy family lines in Germany since at least the Middle Ages, the name was likely around well before the time of Jesus. The name also appears in several Germanic languages, including Dutch, Danish, Swedish, and Norwegian, though spelled a bit differently. Both the Dutch and Danish "Matthiessen" and the Swedish "Mattson" are results of phonetic changes to the original Matthäy.
The Matthäy name is found all across Germany and Austria, though today it is more common in certain areas such as the Upper Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg regions. The last name Matthäy is also used all over the world, as it is common for German emigrants to take their surnames with them.
Order DNA origin analysisMatthäy: Where does the name Matthäy come from?
The last name Matthäy is most common today in Germany, Switzerland, and parts of Austria. It is also found in some other European countries such as France, Denmark, Netherlands, and Poland as well as some countries in the Americas such as Argentina, Chile, and Brazil.
Matthäy is derived from the personal name Matthias, which comes from the Hebrew name Mattityahu, which literally means “gift of God”. This is the name given to Saint Matthew, one of the four authors of the Gospel of the New Testament. As such, it is not surprising to find that the last name Matthäy is still very common today and may be found in both heavily Catholic and Protestant areas.
The most common variant spelling of the last name Matthäy is Matthaeus (or Matthais, Matyas, Matias, and Mathye, among others), however, there are also variations of Matthäy such as Mathai, Almathae, etc. The distribution across the various countries mentioned above is fairly even and usually corresponds to various historical events or population movements between various areas.
In general, Matthäy remains a very common last name and is likely to remain that way for many more generations to come.
Variations of the surname Matthäy
Matthäy is a German surname with several variants and spellings, including Matthey, Mathaye, Mathay, Mathey, and Matthaei. All of these variations are derived from the personal name Matthaus, which is the German form of the Biblical name Matthew.
In addition to these spelling variations, Matthäy is also found as Matheye, Mathi, Matthai, Matthei, Mathe, Mathaei, Mathiahs, Matheij, Mattie, Mathaes, Mathia, Mathaus, Mathias, Mattheis, Matheys, and Mathes.
The surname Matthäy may also be found with other origins, including French, Flemish, Dutch, Scandinavian, Jewish, and Polish versions of the name.
In French, Matthäy is spelled Matheu, Matheux or Mathieu. In Flemish, Deutsche, and Dutch, it is Matthys, Matthijs, or Matthias. In Scandinavian countries, the surname is Mathiasson, and in Jewish communities, it is Math Lew (meaning “son of Lew”). In Polish, Matthäy may be spelled Maciej.
All of these variants and spellings can be traced back to the Ancient Greek origin of the personal name Matthaus. This was a form of the Biblical name Mattheuse meaning "gift of God”. It was brought to mainland Europe by the Crusaders in the Middle Ages, and was common among various European cultures. As the original personal name spread, so too did the various derived surnames and variant spellings of Matthäy.
Famous people with the name Matthäy
- Xaver Matthäy: Xaver was a famous German actor and a passionate pastor.
- Christian Matthäy: Christian is a famous German television producer and director.
- Georg Matthäy: Georg was a German sculptor, known for his characterist sculptures of people from everyday life in Germany.
- Werner Matthäy: Werner is a famous German actor, mostly known for his roles in classical theater pieces.
- Thomas Matthäy: Thomas is a German sculptor, architect, and professor, and a now renowned expert in the field of digital sculpture.
- Sabine Matthäy: Sabine is a famous German photographer and her work is often featured in galleries and exhibitions.
- Franziska Matthäy: Franziska is a well-known German statement artist, who uses her art to make socio-political statements.
- Wilhelm Matthäy: Wilhelm is a famous German composer who is known for his complex chamber works.
- Regina Matthäy: Regina is a German musicologist and professor and is widely recognized for her expertise in German late-romanticism.
- Katharina Matthäy: Katharina is a German illustrator and painter known for her unique artistic style.