Boy name · Hebrew
Mateo
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: gift of GodMateo is a boy's name that comes from Hebrew and means "gift of God". It is used in English and Spanish.
- Meaning
- Gift of God
- Origin
- Hebrew
- Gender
- Boy
- Say it
- mah-TAY-oh
Meaning and origin of Mateo
As a boy's name, Mateo comes from Hebrew and means "gift of God". It is used in English and Spanish.
Say it mah-TAY-oh. Respellings are a guide; accents vary by region.
Mateo is also a surname: the 2,369th most common in the 2020 US Census, held by 15,024 people. See the most common last names.
Meaning checked against Behind the Name. How we research names
Mateo on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Mateo on 4 lists.
“Gift of God; Hebrew. Spanish form of Matthew. Say mah-TAY-oh”
From Classic boy names, classic boy names from around the world
“Gift of God; Spanish form of Matthew. Say mah-TAY-oh”
From Cute boy names, cute boy names from around the world
“Gift of God; Hebrew. No. 2 in Mexico in 2020: 7,105 babies (INEGI)”
From Mexican boy names, popular Mexican boy names (INEGI 2020)
“Gift of God; Hebrew. Spain's No. 1 boy name in 2024: 3,289 babies (INE)”
From Spanish boy names, popular Spanish boy names in Spain (INE 2024)
How popular is Mateo?
- US rank in 2025
- #8
- 11,045 babies, 6,466 per million boys
- Best rank
- #6 in 2023
- Most babies: 11,349 in 2024
- Babies since 1904
- At least 126,693
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 0 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 0 per million |
| 1900s | 4 per million |
| 1910s | 9 per million |
| 1920s | 15 per million |
| 1930s | 10 per million |
| 1940s | 8 per million |
| 1950s | 6 per million |
| 1960s | 5 per million |
| 1970s | 17 per million |
| 1980s | 20 per million |
| 1990s | 103 per million |
| 2000s | 526 per million |
| 2010s | 2,691 per million |
| 2020s | 6,009 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #59 | #42 | #37 | #26 | #20 | #15 | #11 | #6 | #7 | #8 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Other forms of Mateo
The same name in other languages and spellings, with the same meaning and origin.
- MaciejGift of God (Hebrew, boy)
- MaitiúGift of God (Hebrew, boy)
- MakaioGift of God (Hebrew, boy)
- MatanGift (Hebrew, boy)
- MateusGift of God (Hebrew, boy)
- MateuszGift of God (Hebrew, boy)
- MatheusGift of God (Hebrew, boy)
- MathieuGift of God (Hebrew, boy)
- MathisGift of God (Hebrew, boy)
- MatíasGift of God (Hebrew, boy)
- MatsGift of God (Hebrew, boy)
- MatteoGift of God (Hebrew, boy)
Names spelled like Mateo
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
- MarcoOf Mars (Latin, boy)
- MaëlPrince, chief (Breton, boy)
- MaherSkilled (Arabic, boy)
- MaloBright pledge (Breton, boy)
- ManōA shark (Hawaiian, boy)
- MarekOf Mars (Latin, boy)
- MasaoRighteous man (depends on characters) (Japanese, boy)
- MatveiGift of God (Hebrew, boy)
- MauroMoorish, North African (Latin, boy)
Names with a similar meaning
- TheoGift of God (Greek, boy)
- DoraGift (Greek, girl)
- DorotheaGift of God (Greek, girl)
- IsadoraGift of Isis (Greek, girl)
- MatthiasGift of God (Hebrew, boy)
- DoroteaGift of God (Greek, girl)
- EudoraGood gift (Greek, girl)
- FeodoraGift of God (Greek, girl)
- HeliodoraGift of the sun (Greek, girl)
- HeliodoroGift of the sun (Greek, boy)
Middle names for Mateo
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a longer length, so the full name flows.
- AltonTown at a river's source (Old English, boy)
- DrakeDragon (Old English, boy)
- EverettBrave boar (Germanic, boy)
- HarrisonSon of Harry (English, boy)
- HowellEminent, conspicuous (Welsh, boy)
- SpencerSteward, dispenser (Old French, boy)
- WalterRuler of the army (Germanic, boy)
- ZachariahYahweh remembers (Hebrew, boy)
More boy names from Hebrew
- AdamMan, humankind (Hebrew, boy)
- DavidBeloved one (Hebrew, boy)
- DanielGod is my judge (Hebrew, boy)
- NoahRest, repose (Hebrew, boy)
- EliasMy God is Yahweh (Hebrew, boy)
- GabrielGod is my strength (Hebrew, boy)
- AxelMy father is peace (Hebrew, boy)
- BenjaminSon of the right hand (Hebrew, boy)
- IsaacHe will laugh (Hebrew, boy)
- JanGod is gracious (Hebrew, boy)
Mateo: common questions
What does the name Mateo mean?
Mateo comes from Hebrew and means "gift of God". Checked against Behind the Name.
Is Mateo a boy or girl name?
Mateo is mainly a boy's name. In 2025, 12 girls and 11,045 boys in the US were named Mateo, according to Social Security Administration data.
Where does the name Mateo come from?
Mateo comes from Hebrew and means "gift of God". Today it is used in English and Spanish.
How do you pronounce Mateo?
Say mah-TAY-oh. Pronunciation can vary between languages and regions.
How popular is the name Mateo?
Mateo ranked #8 in the US in 2025, with 11,045 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What are other forms of Mateo?
Forms of Mateo with the same meaning and origin include Maciej (Polish), Maitiú (Irish), Makaio (Hawaiian), Matan (Hebrew) and Mateus (Portuguese).
What middle names go with Mateo?
Middle names that flow well with Mateo include Alton, Drake, Everett, Harrison and Howell. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.