Mateo - Boy's Name Meaning, Origin, And Popularity - BabyCenter

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Popular Baby NamesBaby Name ListsBaby Name SearchMy Saved Names

1. Baby Names

Mateo/mah-TAY-oh/

At a glance

Origin: SpanishUS Popularity: #5Meaning: gift of godSave to listSee your listFact-checked by Rebekah WahlbergWritten by Olivia ChristensenUpdated on Nov 3, 2025In this article

• Mateo name meaning and origin
• Mateo name popularity
• Popularity over time
• Mateo in pop culture
• Famous people named Mateo
• Names similar to Mateo
• Baby name lists including Mateo

Mateo name meaning and origin

Mateo is a name of Spanish origin meaning "gift of God." The English version of Mateo is Matthew, a name of Hebrew origin, and the name of one of Jesus's twelve disciples and the first book of the New Testament in the Bible. Like many biblical names, Matthew is a perennial favorite, while Mateo has been popular in Spanish-speaking cultures for centuries.

Mateo's popularity in the United States is no doubt due to the increased Hispanic and Latino immigration to the United States over the last century shaping cultural trends, as well as the modern parenting trend of paying homage to popular names in a unique way. Since Matthew was a common baby name choice in the U.S. in the 1980s and '90s, many parents may have fond associations for the name but may be looking for a new-to-them twist on tradition.

The religious meaning of the name Mateo goes a long way to explain its popularity.No matter a person's faith, many parents feel like "a gift" is the only way to describe their child. Names that signify that a child is a blessing, such as Samuel, Theodore, Ian, or Mateo, are always popular choices for parents.

Mateo, like its English variant Matthew (or Matthews), is also a common surname in Spanish-speaking cultures.

Mateo is a historically masculine name. While the feminine variations Mathilde and Matilda have often been given to girls and abbreviated to Matt and Mattie – the same nicknames often used for boys – it isn't common to see girls named Matthew or Mateo.

Mateo is pronounced "muh-TAY-oh" and while the pronunciation isn't standard for English speakers, most people should be familiar enough with the name to recognize the correct pronunciation.

Mateo first broke into the Social Security Administration's 1,000 most popular names in 1995 and immediately began climbing the ranks. By 2015, it was one of the top 100 names – and in 2020, it was No. 20.

BabyCenter parents love it, too – it was the eighth-most popular boy's name in 2020. (BabyCenter's rankings are based on data gathered from hundreds and thousands of BabyCenter readers.)

Both familiar and unique, Mateo is a great option for many parents. And based on the success of Matthew in the U.S. during the last part of the 20th century, there's every reason to believe Mateo will continue to be a popular choice.

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Popularity over time

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Mateo in pop culture

Mateo Liwanag Character on the TV show Superstore, played by Nico Santos Mateo Documentary about Matthew Stoneman, an American who reinvents himself as a singer of Spanish songs after being released from prison Mateo Solano Villanueva Character on the TV show Jane the Virgin, played by Elias Janssen Mateo Santos Character on the TV show All My Children, played by Mark Consuelos Advertisement | page continues below

Famous people named Mateo

Mateo Arias American actor Mateo Camargo Colombian musician Mateo Fernandez Guatemalan-American actor Mateo Flores Guatemalan runner Mateo Kovacic Croatian professional soccer player Mateo Mornar French sculptor Mateo Musacchio Argentinian professional soccer player

Names similar to Mateo

Like Mateo? What about:

MatteoNoahLiamLucasLeoSebastianLucaElijahEzraOliverTheoSantiago

Baby name lists including Mateo

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