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",
Irish people used. While both "Mac" and "Ó'" prefixes are Gaelic in origin, "Mac" is more common in Scotland and in Ulster than in the rest of Ireland; furthermore, "Ó" is far less common in Scotland than it is in Ireland. The proper surname for a woman in Irish uses the feminine prefix nic (meaning daughter) in place of mac. Thus a boy may be called Mac Domhnaill whereas his sister would be called Nic Dhomhnaill or Ní Dhomhnaill – the insertion of 'h' follows the female prefix in the case of most consonants (bar H, L, N, R, & T). A