Matthews (surname)

This page lists notable people with the surname (that is, family name) Matthews.

For a list of notable people with the surname Matthew (without -s), see Matthew (surname).

For a list of notable people with the surname Mathews (with only one "t"), see Mathews (surname).

For a list of notable people with the forename (that is, given name) Matthew, see Matthew (name).

For the etymology of the name Matthew and for cognates (related forenames and surnames), see Matthew (name).

Matthews is a surname derived from the forename Matthew.

Geographical distribution[]

As of 2014, 53.6% of all known bearers of the surname Matthews were residents of the United States (frequency 1:2,136), 19.2% of England (1:917), 8.1% of Australia (1:932), 4.9% of South Africa (1:3,498), 4.8% of Canada (1:2,425), 2.0% of Wales (1:492), 1.1% of New Zealand (1:1,251), 1.0% of the Republic of Ireland (1:1,445) and 1.0% of Jamaica (1:908).

In Wales, the frequency of the surname was higher than average (1:492) in the following principal areas:

1. Caerphilly County Borough (1:229)
2. Torfaen (1:278)
3. Bridgend County Borough (1:306)
4. Swansea (1:384)
5. Wrexham County Borough (1:399)
6. Monmouthshire (1:400)
7. Neath Port Talbot (1:423)
8. Rhondda Cynon Taf (1:447)
9. Vale of Glamorgan (1:465)
10. Merthyr Tydfil County Borough (1:465)
11. Blaenau Gwent (1:488)

In England, the frequency of the surname was higher than average (1:917) in the following unitary authority districts:

1. Cornwall (1:376)
2. Herefordshire (1:385)
3. Staffordshire (1:557)
4. Wiltshire (1:561)
5. Isle of Wight (1:569)
6. Gloucestershire (1:599)
7. Dorset (1:615)
8. Shropshire (1:623)
9. Devon (1:626)
10. Hampshire (1:627)
11. West Sussex (1:642)
12. Rutland (1:654)
13. Oxfordshire (1:670)
14. Worcestershire (1:680)
15. Norfolk (1:713)
16. Bristol (1:715)
17. Surrey (1:737)
18. Somerset (1:760)
19. East Sussex (1:760)
20. Cambridgeshire (1:777)
21. Kent (1:801)
22. Warwickshire (1:820)
23. Essex (1:825)
24. Nottinghamshire (1:850)
25. West Midlands (1:859)
26. Suffolk (1:860)
27. Berkshire (1:867)
28. Bedfordshire (1:882)
29. Hertfordshire (1:890)
30. Buckinghamshire (1:896)

In the United States, the frequency of the surname was higher than average (1:2,136) in the following states:^[1]

1. North Carolina (1:907)
2. Maryland (1:971)
3. Louisiana (1:1,014)
4. South Carolina (1:1,090)
5. Delaware (1:1,168)
6. Mississippi (1:1,209)
7. Alabama (1:1,244)
8. Tennessee (1:1,336)
9. Arkansas (1:1,400)
10. Virginia (1:1,656)
11. Oklahoma (1:1,657)
12. Washington, D.C. (1:1,660)
13. Georgia (1:1,786)
14. Idaho (1:1,945)
15. Texas (1:1,989)
16. Michigan (1:2,094)

Art, design, media, and literature[]

A. E. Matthews, English actor
Barbara Winifred Matthews (1917–1997), New Zealand gardening writer and horticulturist
Brett Matthews, American writer of comics and TV shows
Chris Matthews, American television talk show host
Dakin Matthews, American actor
Francis Matthews (actor), English film, TV and stage actor
Herbert Matthews, reporter for the New York Times
James Brander Matthews (1852–1929), American writer and educator
James William Matthews (1895–1982), New Zealand newspaper editor, gardening writer, and magazine founder
Janet Matthews, Australian artist
Jared Matthews American Ballet Theatre soloist
Jeffery Matthews, British postage stamp designer
Kathleen Matthews, anchor for ABC 7 News/ WJLA-TV in Washington, D.C.
Kevin Matthews (radio personality), Midwest-based radio personality
Lester Matthews, English actor
Liesel Matthews, American heiress, socialite, and actress
Mariana Matthews (born 1946), Chilean photographer
Rodney Matthews, English fantasy artist and illustrator
Sally Ann Matthews, English actress known for roles in British soap operas
Tina Matthews (born 1961), New Zealand author, illustrator, and puppetmaker
William Matthews (poet), American poet and essayist

Business and invention[]

Bernard Matthews, founder of a food processing company
Christopher Matthews (businessman), British businessman
Gordon Matthews (inventor), American inventor and businessman
Harry Grindell Matthews (1880–1941), English inventor
Terry Matthews, Welsh/Canadian high tech entrepreneur
Victor Matthews, Baron Matthews, British businessman

Military[]

Al Matthews (actor) (born 1942), member of the U.S. Marine Corps and actor
Bruce Matthews (General), commander of the 2nd Canadian Infantry Division in World War II
Francis P. Matthews (1887–1952), 49th U.S. Secretary of the Navy
H. Spencer Matthews, (1921–2002), first U.S. naval pilot to be promoted to admiral
Mark Matthews (1894–2005), former Buffalo Soldier in the U.S. Army
Peter Matthews (rebel) (c.1790–1838), farmer and soldier who participated in the Upper Canada Rebellion of 1837
Saul Matthews, African-American American Revolutionary War hero

Music[]

Andrew Matthews-Owen, Welsh pianist
Artie Matthews (1888–1958), American ragtime composer
Ben Matthews (musician), English guitarist and keyboard player with the band Thunder
Ceri Rhys Matthews (born 1960) Welsh traditional musician
Cerys Matthews (born 1969), Welsh singer
Colin Matthews (born 1946), English composer
Dave Matthews (born 1967), South African musician
David Matthews (composer) (born 1943), English composer
Denise Katrina Matthews, known as Vanity (1959–2016), Canadian singer, actress, and religious leader
Edward Matthews (singer), pioneering African-American opera singer
Emma Matthews (born 1970), Australian operatic soprano
Iain Matthews, English musician and songwriter
Jessie Matthews, popular English actress, dancer, and singer of the 1930s
Julie Matthews (born 1963), English singer-songwriter
Lee Matthews (singer) (born 1988), Irish singer songwriter, formerly Lee Mulhern
Neal Matthews, Jr., American singer
Patrick Matthews, former bassist of Australian band The Vines
Raymond Matthews, member of the American country music group Matthews, Wright & King
Ron Matthews, original drummer for English band Iron Maiden
Scott Matthews, English singer-songwriter from Wolverhampton
Wendy Matthews, Canadian adult alternative pop singer

Politics[]

Albert Edward Matthews, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario
Allen S. Matthews, American merchant and politician
Asa C. Matthews, American politician
Bill Matthews, Canadian politician
Claude Matthews, governor of the U.S. state of Indiana from 1893 to 1897
Charles Matthews (Texas politician), former member of the Texas Railroad Commission
Deb Matthews, politician in Ontario, Canada
Francis P. Matthews (1887–1952), U.S. Secretary of the Navy
Gabriel Baccus Matthews, Liberian politician
Gary Matthews (politician), Speaker of the Montana House of Representatives
Henry Matthews, 1st Viscount Llandaff, British Conservative politician and statesman
Jim Matthews (politician), public official in Pennsylvania
John H. Matthews, Canadian politician
Joseph W. Matthews, Governor of Mississippi from 1848 to 1850
Michael J. Matthews (1934–2014), American mayor
Norman Derek Matthews, OBE (1922–1976), British colonial administrator and diplomat
Philip Bushill-Matthews, British politician and Member of the European Parliament
Print Matthews, Reconstruction-era social organizer murdered while voting
Robert Charles Matthews, Canadian politician
Stanley Matthews (judge), Republican politician and jurist from Ohio
William Matthews (politician), American politician

Sciences[]

Andrew Matthews (entomologist) (1815–1897), British clergyman and entomologist
Drummond Matthews (1931–1997), English marine geologist and geophysicist
James Robert Matthews (1889–1978), Scottish botanist
Jaymie Matthews (born 1958), Canadian astrophysicist
Mabel Lucy Matthews (25 May 1879 – c. 1970) British electrical and production engineer

Paul Taunton Matthews, (1919–1987) British theoretical physicist
William Matthews (engineer), British civil engineer
Zachariah Keodirelang Matthews (1901-1968), Tswana South African anthropologist

Sports[]

A.J. Matthews (born 1988), American mixed martial artist
Adam Matthews, Welsh footballer
Al Matthews (American football) (born 1947), professional football player
Austin Matthews, cricketer who played for Northamptonshire, Glamorgan and England
Auston Matthews (born 1997), American ice hockey player for the Toronto Maple Leafs
Brenda Matthews, New Zealand sprinter
Charles Matthews (basketball) (born 1996), American basketball player
Christopher Matthews (cricketer), former Australian cricketer
Craig Matthews, South African cricketer
Darren Matthews (born 1968), English professional wrestler better known as William Regal
Denny Matthews, American sportscaster
Don Matthews, head coach in the Canadian Football League
Gary Matthews, outfielder in Major League Baseball
Gary Matthews, Jr., Major League Baseball player with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
Greg Matthews, New South Wales and Australian cricketer
H. L. Matthews (1889–1975), American college sports coach and patriarch of the American football family listed below
Hannah Matthews, Irish field hockey player
Helen Matthews, Scottish footballer and suffragette
Jimmy Matthews, Australian Test cricketer
Ken Matthews (1934–2019), English race walker
Lee Matthews (footballer), English football (soccer) player
Leigh Matthews, Australian Rules football player
Michael Matthews (cyclist), Australian cyclist
Mickey Matthews, head football coach at James Madison University
Mike Matthews (born 1973), Major League Baseball pitcher
Morgan Matthews, American figure skater
Robert William Matthews, Welsh footballer
Shane Matthews, quarterback in the National Football League
Stanley Matthews (1915–2000), English footballer
Todd Matthews-Jouda, hurdling athlete
Vincent Matthews (athlete) (born 1947), American athlete
Will Matthews (rugby union), rugby union footballer
William Clarence Matthews (1877–1928), baseball player and political activist.
A family of American football players descended from H. L. Matthews:
- First generation:
  - Clay Matthews Sr. (1928–2017), offensive lineman (son of H. L.)
- Second generation (both sons of Clay Sr.):
  - Clay Matthews Jr. (born 1956), linebacker
  - Bruce Matthews (American football) (born 1961), offensive lineman and coach
- Third generation:
  - Clay Matthews III (born 1986), linebacker (son of Clay Jr.)
  - Kevin Matthews (American football) (born 1987), offensive lineman (son of Bruce)
  - Casey Matthews (born 1989), linebacker (son of Clay Jr.)
  - Jake Matthews (born 1992), offensive lineman (son of Bruce)

Other[]

Barry Matthews, chief executive of the New Zealand Department of Corrections
Frank Matthews (born 1944), drug trafficker
James M. Matthews, first chancellor of New York University
James Tilly Matthews (1770–1815), London tea merchant and schizophrenia sufferer
Ken Matthews (public servant), Australian public servant
Leigh Matthews, South African university student who was kidnapped and murdered in 2004: see Murder of Leigh Matthews
Lisa Matthews, 1991 playmate of the year
Peter Matthews (linguist), British linguist
Peter H. Matthews (1873–1916), operator of policy games in New York City
Robert Matthews (religious figure) (1778–1841), American religious figure
Victoria Matthews, Canadian Anglican bishop
Warren W. Matthews Jr. (born 1939), American jurist
William Matthews (priest) (1770–1854), American Catholic priest and president of Georgetown College
Shannon Matthews, British child who disappeared in 2008: see Kidnapping of Shannon Matthews

Fictional characters[]

Aspen Matthews, main character of Fathom
Cathy Matthews, from the British soap opera Coronation Street
Cory Matthews, main character on Boy Meets World
Courtney Matthews, character on the ABC soap opera General Hospital
Dave Matthews (Family Affairs), fictional character in U.K. soap opera Family Affairs
Duncan Matthews, fictional character on the animated TV show X-Men: Evolution
Eric Matthews (Saw), fictional character of film series Saw
Grant Matthews, the main character in State of the Union
Holden Matthews, the main character in the TV series Beyond
Josh Matthews (Family Affairs), fictional character in U.K. soap opera Family Affairs
Paige Matthews, fictional character
Riley Matthews, the main character on Girl Meets World

References[]

^ Matthews surname distribution

[matthews2014-1] Matthews surname distribution

[1]