Mattern
A surname probably arising as a spelling variant or local/phonetic form related to Madden or a similar personal-name source, rather than from a single clear English word.
The #7,110 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 65,621 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The little evidence available suggests Mattern is not a straightforward occupational or descriptive surname, but a variant or altered form connected with the broader Madden/Maddern family of names. In older surname books, it appears alongside forms linked to Irish O'Madadhain and to place-based names, but the exact path to Mattern is unclear. The ending -ern may reflect regional pronunciation or later spelling stabilization rather than a distinct original root.
History
Mattern is relatively uncommon in modern records, especially in the United States. Because the surviving historical reference is indirect, its early history cannot be traced with confidence from the excerpt alone. It likely emerged through spelling variation within related surname families and later became fixed in a few branches.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The name turns up in older surname discussions as part of a web of related forms, showing how one family name could branch into several spellings over time.
From the historical record
“Madden. From the Irish O'Mada- dhain ; Dch. Mattern ; a p.n. Madden, a loc. n., Armagh ; Maddern, a loc. n., Cornw. Madder. G. Mader ; a p.n. See”
— British Family Names: their origin and meaning (1st ed.)