Explore the Family Name Matos
The meaning of Matos
1. Spanish and Galician: topographic name from the plural of mato ‘brushwood, scrub’ (see Mato). 2. Portuguese: habitational name from any of numerous places in Portugal named Matos, from mata ‘brushwood, scrub’. Compare De Matos. 3. Hungarian: variant of Matus. 4. Croatian and Slovak (Matoš, Slovak also Máťoš): from a pet form of local equivalents of the Latin personal name Matthaeus or Matthias (see Matthew). 5. Croatian and Slovenian: probably a cognate of Croatian and Slovak Matoš (see 4 above). Some characteristic forenames: Spanish Jose, Luis, Manuel, Angel, Juan, Carlos, Rafael, Pedro, Ana, Francisco, Miguel, Jorge. Portuguese Joao, Paulo, Albano, Henrique, Joaquim, Ligia, Serafim, Vasco.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Matos in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Matos saw a significant increase between 2000 and 2010. In the year 2000, Matos ranked as the 1968th most popular surname, but by 2010 it had risen to the 1696th spot, marking an impressive 13.82% jump in rank. Moreover, the count of individuals with the Matos surname also spiked during this period. The census recorded 16,819 individuals bearing the surname in 2000, while the number grew to 21,258 by 2010, indicating a substantial growth rate of 26.39%. This data suggests that per every 100,000 people, there were 7.21 individuals named Matos in 2010, up from 6.23 in 2000.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,968 | #1,696 | 13.82% |
| Count | 16,819 | 21,258 | 26.39% |
| Proportion per 100k | 6.23 | 7.21 | 15.73% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Matos
When it comes to ethnic identity, the data from the Decennial U.S. Census reveals interesting changes in the distribution among those with the surname Matos from 2000 to 2010. The Hispanic demographic represented the majority, accounting for 79.55% in 2000 and growing slightly to 80.73% by 2010. While the percentage of those identifying as White decreased slightly from 17.14% to 16.83%, the Asian/Pacific Islander representation saw a considerable increase, rising from 0.27% to 0.45%. Those identifying as Black also experienced a slight increase from 1.46% to 1.53%. However, the portion of those identifying with two or more races saw a sharp decline from 1.43% to 0.32%, whereas the American Indian and Alaskan Native group remained relatively stable, decreasing marginally from 0.15% to 0.14%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hispanic | 79.55% | 80.73% | 1.48% |
| White | 17.14% | 16.83% | -1.81% |
| Black | 1.46% | 1.53% | 4.79% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.27% | 0.45% | 66.67% |
| Two or More Races | 1.43% | 0.32% | -77.62% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.15% | 0.14% | -6.67% |
Matos ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Matos is Spanish & Portuguese, which comprises 54.8% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are Indigenous American (9.3%) and British & Irish (8.1%). Additional ancestries include French & German, Nigerian, Angolan & Congolese, Italian, and Senegambian & Guinean.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| Spanish & Portuguese | 54.8% |
| Indigenous American | 9.3% |
| British & Irish | 8.1% |
| Other | 27.7% |
Possible origins of the surname Matos
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Matos have recent ancestry locations all within Puerto Rico.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Juncos, Puerto Rico | 42.80% |
| Barceloneta, Puerto Rico | 42.80% |
| Bayamon, Puerto Rico | 42.80% |
| Lajas, Puerto Rico | 42.80% |
| Caguas, Puerto Rico | 42.80% |
What Matos haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Matos is R-P311, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-P311 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-Z225 and R-L51, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Mercado, Pena, Pereira, Rodrigues, Rocha, Ferreira, Fernandez, Gomes, Sousa, Vega.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Matos surname are: A2, H1, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your maternal lineage may be linked to some of the first Americans
Though the Ice Age was beginning to retreat when your A2 ancestors first entered North America, there were still massive barriers blocking their way. Glaciers and inhospitable climate covered much of the continent, blocking entry into the interior. Nonetheless, researchers have found evidence that a wave of American founders migrated over 13,000 kilometers to reach southern Chile in only 2,000 years, a blink of an eye in the story of human migration! Their highway to the south was the coast of the Pacific, stocked with fish, diverse marine mammals, and other valuable resources in the rich kelp forests of the upper latitudes and in the abundant fresh-water rivers near the equator. Because of this rapid movement south, the A2 haplogroup and its diverse branches are found throughout North and South America.
What do people with the surname Matos have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Matos" Surname 37.6%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Matos" Surname 30.6%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Matos" Surname 25.0%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Matos" Surname 17.2%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Matos?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Matos are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition