For Matthews, I would start with 马／馬 Mǎ if you want a one-character Chinese surname. It keeps the first character of the documented transcription 马修斯 Mǎxiūsī, and the education ministry's dictionary independently records 馬 as a surname under mǎ. Keep 马修斯 in full when recognisability matters more than having a short Chinese surname. 1, 2
The main decision is how much of Matthews you want to carry into everyday introductions. 马 gives you a compact surname that can precede a separately chosen Chinese given name. 马修斯 keeps more of the foreign name's sound and shape. Neither choice requires a horse story or a claim to Chinese ancestry.
What changes between Matthews and 马修斯
Collins gives the British-English reference pronunciation /ˈmæθjuːz/. It has two syllables and begins with a stressed vowel different from Mandarin a. Its th is the sound in think, and its final s represents a z sound. This is a dictionary reference, not a recording of your family's own pronunciation. 3
Mǎ-xiū-sī divides the name into three Mandarin syllables. It preserves the opening m but replaces the English sounds with Mandarin ones, adds a final vowel, and uses third, first and first tones. Mandarin xiū does not reproduce English /θjuː/ exactly. The tones belong to the Chinese syllables; they are not a way of writing English stress.
Wuhan Institute of Technology writes Claire Matthews as 克莱尔·马修斯 in its account of a university visit. That pairing documents the surname spelling. It establishes neither a compulsory form for every Matthews nor a reason to borrow that person's profession or biography. 1
If you shorten 马修斯 to 马, you retain the written opening and its Mandarin reading. You lose 修斯 and nearly all the material after the English initial m and vowel. Someone hearing Mǎ alone cannot reliably reconstruct Matthews. Keeping the Latin spelling alongside your Chinese name is useful when that connection needs to be unmistakable.
Why 马 works independently as a surname
The relevant dictionary entry matters because a transcription character and a Chinese family name are different uses. The ministry's revised dictionary places a surname sense under mǎ, alongside the ordinary word for horse. The surname is not being invented by cutting a foreign name into pieces. 2
The simplified form is 马 and the traditional form is 馬. These are corresponding written forms of the surname proposed here. A convenient introduction is 我姓马，马修斯的马。, “My surname is Mǎ, the 马 in 马修斯.” If the other person does not know the transcription, show the character or identify it through the ordinary word for horse.
Learn the third tone with the full name you intend to use. Its spoken shape can change with neighbouring syllables, especially another third tone. The dictionary form remains Mǎ. Choosing a surname first does not settle how a complete name sounds or whether its characters accidentally form an everyday phrase.
I would not change the first character simply because another m-initial surname looks more familiar. You would need a reason for that change: a preferred character, a better fit with your given name, or a personal connection you actually want. The existing 马 choice already has both transcription evidence and an independent surname reading.
Matthews has more than one family history
The Dictionary of American Family Names describes an English and Irish patronymic route from the personal name Matthew. It also records an Irish anglicisation of Mac Mathghamhna and notes that other-language equivalents have contributed to the name in North America. A general entry cannot tell you which route belongs to your family. 4, 4.1, 4.2
This is why translating a single supposed original meaning would be premature. The ordinary meaning of 马 is horse, but that is a Chinese association introduced by your choice. It does not mean that Matthews originally named horse keepers, or that your relatives descend from a particular Ma family.
The same boundary applies to culture. A historical bearer of 馬 helps demonstrate surname use; that person's achievements do not become part of your name's meaning. There is no need to add a Chinese ancient-person or occupation route when the documented written link already answers the naming question.
Try the short form before committing to it
Write Matthews beside 马修斯 and beside 马 followed by your intended Chinese given name. Read both introductions aloud. Ask a Mandarin speaker in your usual setting to identify where the surname ends and the given name starts, then have them write the characters they heard.
Keep an eye on identity continuity. If your publications or contacts already use another Chinese spelling, compare that actual spelling before changing it. A new naming suggestion should take existing use seriously. For official identity matching, continue using the name required by the relevant document or institution; a self-chosen Chinese name does not automatically amend those records.
My starting choice is 马 Mǎ for a short surname, with 马修斯 retained as the fuller rendering of Matthews. The preference is based on a traceable written connection, not a promise that every listener will recognise the English original.
Sources & Notes
1 Wuhan Institute of Technology pairs Claire Matthews with 克莱尔·马修斯. 2 Ministry of Education, 馬, revised-dictionary section, records the surname under mǎ. 3 Collins, Matthews supplies the reference pronunciation in its biographical headword. 4, 4.1, 4.2 DAFN, second edition, via Ancestry supports the general surname histories; it is not an individual genealogy.
The British Surnames list places Matthews at website position 89. Its scope statement covers Great Britain, excluding Northern Ireland. The ranking page supplies no count; its reference period, counting unit and method remain unknown. This is a private website position, not a verified current UK-wide population rank. Character recommendations and sound-loss comparisons are editorial judgments; test them with your intended full name.
