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.
