Daily AncestorMath.
Math. in old records is an abbreviation of the first name Matthias, not Matthew, which is usually Matt.
Name lists give Math. for Matthias and Matt. for Matthew. The two names look alike, so the extra letters matter when you read the record.
If a man appears as Math. in one record and Matthew in another, he may be two different people, or one clerk may have guessed wrong. Look for the name in full in a baptism or will.
As seen in a recordName column of the 1860 census
Math. Hoffner, 51, Farmer, Germany
Sources
How to cite this page
Daily Ancestor. "Math.." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/abbreviations/math. Last checked 2026-10-12.