# Matos (surname)

Matos or Mattos, sometimes de Matos or de Mattos, is a Sephardic and Portuguese language surname.
The origin of the surname Matos or Mattos is toponymic. It was taken from a place with this designation, in the region of Lamego in Portugal. It originates in Egas Hermigues, great-grandson of King Ramiro II, from the Kingdom of León. Egas was of great valour and had the nickname of the "Bravo." He founded the convent of Freixo and made Mattos Farmhouse. His son and heir Hermigio Pais de Mattos followed the lineage. There are documents of Paio Hermigues de Mattos, contemporary of Kings Sancho II and Alfonso III of Portugal. Hermigio de Mattos was the owner of that farm and had others for honor. It is also a surname used by many Sephardic Jewish and converso families. "Matos" is a word in Hebrew that means "tribes", or in the more literal form, "wooden sticks". Francisca Nuñez de Carabajal, a Crypto-Jewish burned at stake in Mexico City by the Holy Office was condemned along her Crypto-Jewish husband, Francisco Rodríguez de Matos.
It may refer to:

## In media and entertainment

* Alexander Teixeira de Mattos (1865–1921), journalist, literary critic and publisher
* Andre Matos (1972–2019), a Brazilian musician
* André Mattos (born 1961), Brazilian actor
* Francisco Vieira de Matos, known as "Vieira Lusitano" (1699-1783), royal painter to King John V of Portugal
* Gerardo Matos Rodríguez, a Uruguayan composer
* Gregório de Mattos (1636–1696), Brazilian writer
* Luis Palés Matos (1898-1959), a poet from Puerto Rico
* Mayra Matos (born 1988), Miss Puerto Rico Universe 2009
* Monica Mattos (born 1984), Brazilian pornographic actress

## In sport
### Baseball

* Francisco Matos (born 1970), Dominican former MLB baseball player and current MLB coach
* Julius Matos (born 1974), American MLB baseball second baseman
* Luis Matos (born 1978), Puerto Rican MLB baseball player
* Luis Matos (born 2002), Venezuelan baseball outfielder for the San Francisco Giants

### Football (soccer)

* Diogo Matos, (born 1975), Portuguese footballer
* Marcelo Mattos (born 1984), Brazilian football midfielder
* Marcelo Mendonça de Mattos, (born 1984), Brazilian football midfielder
* Marcelo Roberto Lima de Mattos (born 1986), Brazilian football midfielder
* Marco Antonio de Mattos Filho (born 1986), Brazilian football midfielder
* Marcos Renan de Mattos Ceschin (born 1985), Brazilian football midfielder

### Other sports

* Agberto Matos (born 1972), Brazilian Olympic handball player
* Ángel Matos, Cuban taekwondo athlete
* Bayron Matos (born 2000), Dominican-American football player
* Grant Mattos (born 1981), National Football League wide receiver
* Harry Mattos (1911–1992), American football player
* Juan Borges Matos (born 1966), Cuban chess player
* Ian Matos (born 1989), Brazilian diver
* Rafael Matos (born 1996), Brazilian tennis player
* Yetur Gross-Matos (born 1998), American football defensive end

## In other fields

* Dina Matos McGreevey (born 1966), former First Lady of New Jersey
* Huber Matos (1918–2014), a Cuban dissident
* Sabina Matos, American politician
* Felix V. Matos Rodriguez, the eighth chancellor of The City University of New York, serving over 240,000 degree-seeking students across 25 New York City colleges.
* Isaac Eduard Teixeira de Mattos [nl] (1832-1885), founder of the Teixeira de Mattos bank [nl]
* José Norton de Matos (1867-1955), a general and a Portuguese politician
* Manuel Vieira de Matos (1861–1932), archbishop of Braga, Portugal
* Roy Chaderton Matos (1942- ), a Venezuelan diplomat
* Manuel Antonio Matos (1847 - 1929), a Venezuelan Politician
* Francisco Matos Paoli (1915 - 2005), a Puerto Rican Poet and Nationalist Party Member
* Isabel Freire de Matos (1915 - 2004), a Puerto Rican Activist and Nationalist Party Member
* Nemir Matos-Cintrón (1949 - ), a Puerto Rican writer and Novelist