Mathias
A surname from the given name Matthias, meaning “gift of God.”
The #4,014 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 34,883 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Mathias is a surname based on the personal name Matthias, which comes through Greek from Hebrew Mattityahu, meaning “gift of Yahweh” or “gift of God.” In English records it is usually treated as a surname formed from the forename, essentially meaning “son of Mathias/Matthias.” Continental forms such as French Mathieu/Mathias and German Matthias are close cognates and sometimes contributed to surname use as well.
History
The surname appears in English records as a baptismal or patronymic surname and is noted by 19th-century surname writers as a variant connected with Matthew/Matthias. It also occurs on the Continent in forms such as Mathias, Mathis, and Matthieu, and these spellings sometimes cross over into English-language usage through migration. In Ireland and Scotland, related forms may overlap with local Gaelic surname traditions, but Mathias itself is primarily a biblical-name surname.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The name ultimately goes back to the same biblical root as Matthew, so Mathias and Matthew are linguistic cousins rather than unrelated surnames.
From the historical record
“Matthew. MATHIAS. MATTHIE As Matthias. See Matthew. J^IATHIESON. See Matthew. ]\IATIN. MATTIN. Probably corrup- tions of Martin.”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom