South German: topographic name for someone who lived near a
meadow, from Middle High German matte ‘meadow’.
Dutch (van der Matt(e)): topographic name for someone who
lived by a meadow, or habitational name from any of various places
named Made or Maete, from Middle Dutch matte, matta
‘meadow’.
Southern French: possibly a habitational name from
the common demesne name La Matte, La Mathe, derived from Occitan
mata ‘bush’, ‘shrub’, ‘thicket’, ‘brush’. Compare Mata
1.
Dictionary of American Family Names, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-508137-4
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