Surname Matyaschek - Meaning and Origin

Matyaschek: What does the surname Matyaschek mean?

The last name Matyaschek is of German ancestry, originally from southern Germany. The personal name Matthias, from which the surname is derived, is an old German name meaning “gift of God” or “gift of the Lord.” The suffix “schek” is believed to be a patronymic form meaning “son of,” thus making the entire surname mean "son of Matthias".

Historical records indicate that the earliest known bearer of the Matyaschek surname was Heinrich Matyaschek, who was recorded in Oberstadt in Austria in 1660. The Matyaschek family then spread throughout Europe, with the earliest record of settlers in the United States appearing in the 1800s. By this time, the Matyascheks had settled in Illinois, Wisconsin, Ohio and Pennsylvania.

There are several varitations of the name, all derived from the original Matyaschek – Matyaszek, Matthiaschek, Matthiaschek, and Matthiesen. The name has since spread to countries such as Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, and Croatia.

The physical features that are associated with the Matyascheks are lighter skin tones and blue eyes. They often have an athletic build and medium to tall builds.

Many members of the Matyaschek family have made significant contributions to society over the years. Members include a mayor of the small German town of Neheim-Hüsten, Revolutionary War officer Wilhem Matyaschek, Emmy-nominated movie scores composer Eva Matyaschek, and historian Paul Matyaschek.

Today, the Matyaschek family is still widely dispersed around the world, carrying on the legacy of the original Matthias root from which their name was derived.

Matyaschek: Where does the name Matyaschek come from?

The last name Matyaschek is most commonly found today in countries of Central and Eastern Europe, including Germany, Austria, Poland, and the Czech Republic. In particular, it may have origins in the area that was once the German-speaking Bohemian region of Czechoslovakia.

The name which is more common in Czech and Slovak speaking countries may be derived from a Slavic personal name Matya, which has a similar pronunciation of Matyaschek. The sobriquet "Scheck", or "check", was most likely added to the surname to give it the meaning of "son of Matya" or "one who is related to Matya".

The name Matyaschek is also found in smaller numbers in the United States. According to census records from the 1940s, it is found most often in heavily German-American populated states such as Pennsylvania and New York. Today, it is most likely concentrated in states with a large population of Czech and Slovakian-American people, including inland Midwest states such as Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin.

In other parts of the world, records of Matyaschek as a last name are very rare. It is practically non-existent in the United Kingdom, and is also not commonly found in Australia, Canada, and other countries beyond Central and Eastern Europe and the United States.

Variations of the surname Matyaschek

The surname Matyaschek is a variant of the German surname Matzke or Matzek. It can also be spelled as Matteschek, Matieschek, Maciejewski, and Maciążkiewic. While the Matzke and Matzek forms are more common in Germany, the other spellings are more widespread in East Central Europe and are primarily used in Poland. The origin of these surnames can be traced back to the Middle Ages, when Slavic personal names beginning with "mati" (meaning "gift") were popular in East Central Europe.

The Polish spelling of Matyaschek derives from the given name Matyasz, which is often derived from the biblical names Matthias and Matthew. As surnames do not usually change in the Slavic language, Matyaschek is a primarily Polish variant of the name. It likely has its roots in a region called Matyaschek, which is present in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt.

There are a few other surnames that have a similar origin, including Matyasov, Matteschuck, Mašek, Machek, and Mataska. Some of these names have become anglicized through immigration into the United States or the United Kingdom and are now seen in their English forms, such as Mattscheck, Mattevis, Mattysak, and Maciaschek.

All of these variants have the same medieval Slavic origin and likely evolved from the same given name. While the Matyaschek spelling is popular in Poland, the other spelling variations are common in other countries and the various forms of the name can be found in a number of regions, languages, and cultures.

Famous people with the name Matyaschek

• Oskar Matyaschek: Austrian actor and comedian who became a cult figure in the German-speaking cabaret scene in the 1960s.
• Robert Matyaschek: Austrian impressionist painter from the 19th century.
• Karl Matyaschek: Austrian-born American soccer player who played professionally in the American Soccer League.
• Anna Matyaschek: Austrian author, teacher and nursing theorist.
• Anna Katharina Matyaschek: Austrian amateur naturalist who wrote the first catalogue of the flora of Vienna in the early 1900s.
• Eugen Matyaschek: Austrian film actor who starred in numerous German films in the 1940s.
• Fritz Matyaschek: Austrian mountain climber and alpinist who died near the summit of the Dufourspitze in the Western Alps in 1928.
• Clemens Matyaschek: Austrian botanist and entomologist who specialized in the study of spiders.
• Romuald Matyacshek: Austrian writer, poet and playwright from the late 19th century.
• Gert Matyaschek: Austrian sculptor and ceramist who was active in Vienna in the early 20th century.

Other surnames

Matyasch