Surname Matthijs - Meaning and Origin
all surnames with 'M'
Matthijs: What does the surname Matthijs mean?
The origin of the last name Matthijs is Dutch. It is a patronymic surname that is derived from the given name Matthijs, which is a variant of the Hebrew name Matthias, meaning “gift of God.” This suggests that the Matthijs family is believed to be descended from the Biblical Matthias, who was chosen to be an apostle of Jesus following Judas Iscariot's betrayal.
The last name Matthijs is also historically linked to the Dutch region of Brabant, which is located in the southern part of the Netherlands. The dialect spoken in the region is known as Brabantian and Matthijs is one of the most common surnames within it.
The surname Matthijs is currently widespread throughout the Netherlands and is also found in several other countries, including the United States, Canada, Germany, and Australia. It is fairly common in these countries, and it remains an important part of the Dutch heritage.
In modern times, those bearing the last name Matthijs have a reputation for being hardworking, reliable, and devoted to their families. They are respected by their peers and are often seen as a vital part of their larger community. Many Matthijs families are proud of their heritage and they often try to educate the younger generations about it.
Order DNA origin analysisMatthijs: Where does the name Matthijs come from?
The last name Matthijs is fairly common in the Netherlands today. The Dutch surname is one of the variants of Matthew and is normally translated as Matthias. In fact, Matthijs is the 7th most common surname in the Netherlands where over 775,000 people share this last name. Outside the Netherlands, Matthijs is found mainly in Dutch communities in Belgium, Germany, Curacao and South Africa in relatively small numbers.
Matthijs surname is of biblical origin and can be found in the Old Testament. The roots of the name come from the Greek 'matthaios' which translates to 'gift of Yahweh'. This name is transliterated in different cultures, including Mathias, Maciej, Metteo, Matvey and even Moshe in Hebrew.
Following a genetic analysis study done at the University of 26 in 2018, it was found that the name Matthijs originated from the Eastern Netherlands in particular from the provinces of Utrecht, Gelderland and Overijssel. It is no surprise that these provinces are some of the most densely populated regions in the Netherlands with many cities where we can find people with this surname.
So, if you ever come across someone with the last name of Matthijs, it is most likely that they originate from the Netherlands.
Variations of the surname Matthijs
The surname Matthijs is of Dutch origin and can have several different variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin.
Common Dutch variety spellings of The surname Matthijs include Mattijs, Mattis, Matthys, Mathys, Matthieu, Matijs, Maties and Matheus.
In some parts of the Netherlands, the variation ‘tijs’ is often used as well.
Other variations of the name are Mathinessen, Matthiessen, Matthijsen, Matthiesen, Matthijssen, Mathissen, Matthyssen, Matthysen, Mattheessen, Mathuesen, Mattijssen and Mattijsen.
The surname Matthijs is also derived from the given name Matthias. In the Bible, Matthias was chosen to replace Judas Iscariot who had betrayed Jesus.
Other common forms of the name are Mattice, Mattick, Massic, Mathai, Mattai, Mattaeus, Metz, Maddy, Mattie, Mathies and Mathiesoe.
Variations of Matthijs can be found in a number of countries, including the United States, Germany, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Ireland and Great Britain. In some cases, the spelling may have shifted due to language or cultural influences.
In German, the Matthias surname is spelled Matz, Mattz, Matzke, Mathaeus and Mathas. In Sweden and Norway, the Matthias surname is spelled Matthiasson and Mathiasson respectively.
Many of the Matthijs variants have their own distinct surnames: Mattice, Mattick, Mattice, Massic, Mathai, Mattai, Mattaeus, Metz, Maddy, Mathies, Mattie, Mathiesoe, Matz, Mattz, Matzke, Mathaeus, Mathas, Matthiasson and Mathiasson.
Famous people with the name Matthijs
- Ruud Matthijs: Dutch footballer who played for several teams in the top leagues in the Netherlands.
- Adriënne Matthijs: Dutch actress and singer.
- Jeroen Matthijssen: Dutch speed skater who went on to become a three-time Olympic medalist.
- Mathijs de Ligt: Dutch professional footballer who plays for Serie A Club Juventus and the Netherlands national team.
- Sjoerd Matthijs: Dutch professional tennis player who represented his country in Davis Cup play.
- Egbert Matthijs: Dutch documentary filmmaker who has made documentaries about conservation and the environment.
- Elbert Matthijs: Dutch entrepreneur and CEO of the Dallas-based telecom company, T-Mobile Netherlands.
- Carla Matthijs: Dutch figure skater who won the national championship five times and competed in the Olympics.
- Hugo Matthijs: Dutch comic book artist and illustrator known for his work on titles like Batman and Spiderman.
- Maarten Matthijssen: Dutch athlete who competed in the decathlon at the 2004 Summer Olympics.