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 Biblical Hebrew מַתִּתְיָהוּ‎ (mattiṯyāhū), 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

See also

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]

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. 1 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. 1 2 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. 1 2 3 4 5 Black, George Fraser (1946), The surnames of Scotland: their origin, meaning, and history, New York Public Library, pp. 586–587.
  5. 1 2 3 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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