Matos Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Matos last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Matos last name
Meaning of the Matos last name: "thickets". Matos is a Portuguese surname for someone who lived among thickets or scrubland, from mato, "bush, wild land", or came from a place called Matos. The Brazilian spelling Mattos is common. The last name is widespread in Portugal and Brazil, and also in Cuba.
Arms associated with the Matos name
Portugal gathered coats of arms in great armorials, and heraldry associated with Matos belongs to that tradition.
Get your full Matos family history
This is only a glimpse of the Matos story. The full Matos history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted Matos coat of arms. Get the full Matos report.
Matos name FAQ
What does the Matos name mean?
"thickets". Common variants include Mattos, Mato.
Where does the Matos surname come from?
It originates in Portugal, and is also found in Brazil, Angola and Cuba.
Is there a Matos coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Matos coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Sources: José Pedro Machado, Dicionário Onomástico Etimológico da Língua Portuguesa (Lisboa, 1984); Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).