Matheson (surname) Matheson (surname) Matheson is a surname derived from the patronymic form of a short form of the English "Matthew". This English personal name is ultimately derived from the Hebrew "Mattathia", which means "gift of God". An early record form of the surname "Matheson" is "Mathyson", recorded in 1392; this recorded name literally means "son of "Mathi""—"Mathi" being a pet form of "Matthew". 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. This Gaelic surname is of an entirely different etymology than "Matheson",
Mac and Mc together in print two publications on filing rules, one covering that "word-by-word" convention, and another prepared in 1980 that is "letter-by-letter". A 1998 book attributes the changes to the rules to computer informatics, and notes the Mac/Mc change as its first example. 1982's "Scottish Roots", a guide for family history researchers, warns that older Scottish records do not in fact follow this convention, unlike contemporary telephone directories. A 2001 book of "New York Times" theatre reviews sorts Mc names as if spelled Mac. A 2002 official document for the State of Vermont recommends explicitly no special treatment for Mac and Mc.