Mateo Name Meaning

An elegant name of Spanish origin, Mateo has roots in Christianity. This wholesome biblical name is most likely a version of the Hebrew name Matityah, which means “gift of God.” It might even be considered the Spanish version of the name Matthew, which is the name of one of Jesus’s 12 apostles who appears in the New Testament—making Mateo a creative twist on a classic name. In Italian, the name is spelled Matteo.

  • Origin: Derived from the Biblical Hebrew name Matityah, meaning "gift of God," the name Mateo has Spanish roots. It's origins can also be traced back to Italy, where this name is spelled Matteo. The English version of his name is the popular boys' name Matthew.
  • Gender: Mateo is a name traditionally given to boys.
  • Pronunciation: muy-tay-oh

Editor's Note

Although baby names are often separated by gender, Parents believes that sex does not need to play a role in your name selection process. It’s important to select a name that you suits your new baby the best.

Mateo baby name template

How Popular Is the Name Mateo?

Mateo entered the top 1000 names for boys list in 2000. It quickly gained popularity in the intervening years. 

Mateo broke into the top 100 baby names for boys since 2015—it jumped from the 106th position in the previous year. Since then, it has steadily climbed the rankings, landing at position number 6 in 2023, its highest yet. It is now one of the 10 ten most popular baby names. 11229 babies were named Mateo in 2023.

Name Variations

  • Matthew (English)
  • Matteo (Italian)
  • Matthieu (French)
  • Mads (Danish)
  • Matti (Finish)
  • Mateus (Portuguese)

Similar Names

These names are similar to the name Mateo:

  • Emilio 
  • Manolo 
  • Mekhi 
  • Tomas
  • Mauricio
  • Matthias
  • Mason 
  • Mario 
  • Milo 
  • Mila 
  • Miguel
  • Theo
  • Mia
  • Marco 
  • Nico 
  • Manuel 
  • Elio
  • Sofia
  • Mathilde (German)
  • Matilda (English)

Other Spanish boy names include:

  • Diego 
  • Alejandro 
  • Antonio 
  • Rafael 
  • Luis 
  • Felipe 
  • Bruno 
  • Javier 
  • Carlos 
  • Santino 
  • Alonso

Other boy names starting with ‘M’ include:

Suggested Sibling Names

​​Looking for a sibling name for Mateo? Here are some creative options:

  • Leonardo
  • Pedro
  • Luca 
  • Elise 
  • Louisa 
  • Celia 
  • Olivia 
  • Cruz 
  • Silas
  • Oscar 
  • Elliot 
  • Bianca
  • Julia 
  • Valentina
  • Isiah 
  • Elias

Famous People Named Mateo

This list of famous people named Mateo includes athletes, artists, and entertainers. 

  • Zander Mateo Cassierra Cabezas, Colombian football player for Russian club Zenit St. Petersburg and the Colombia national team.
  • Mateo Messina, American composer best known for the soundtrack to the 2007 film Juno
  • Mateo Chiarino, Uruguayan film, stage, and television actor and director 
  • Mateo Gil Rodríguez, Spanish film director and screenwriter 
  • Mateo Kovačić, a Croatian professional football player (who was born in Austria) for Premier League club Manchester City and the Croatia national team. 
  • Matteo Carcassi, a 19th century Italian guitarist and composer 
  • Matteo Darmian, an Italian professional football player for the Inter Milan football club and the Italy national team
  • Matteo Renzi, an Italian politician who served as prime minister of Italy from 2014 to 2016, and a senator for the Electoral College of Florence since 2018.
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