Mather Family History

English:: occupational name for a mower or reaper of grass or hay Old English mǣthere. Compare Mead Mower. Hay was formerly of great importance not only as feed for animals in winter but also for bedding.

Variant of Mader reflecting an alternative pronunciation influenced by Old Norse mathra ‘madder (plant)’. In southern Lancashire, where it has long been a common surname, it is probably a relatively late development of Madder (see Mader).

Possibly from the Middle English personal name Mather (Old English Mǣthhere from mæthel ‘speech’ + here ‘army’) but there is no evidence that this gave rise to a hereditary surname.