Maceo

♂ Boy

Pronounced mah-SE-o /ma.ˈte.o/High

Meaning: Gift of YahwehMedium

In 30 seconds: Maceo is a Spanish name carrying the meaning 'gift of Yahweh', connected to the family of names that descend from Matthew.

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Origin MediumSpanish, American

MeaningGift of Yahweh

U.S. rank (2025)#2200 ↘ Falling

2025 U.S. births65 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)

Peak year2017

Total births (all-time)≈ 3,194

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Maceo belongs to the cluster of names meaning 'gift of Yahweh', the same sense found in Matthew and its many relatives. Its listed variations — Matthew, Matia, Matevos, Mattaniah and Mattithiah — show that shared Hebrew-rooted meaning carried across different languages.

In Spanish use the name has a warm, open three-syllable sound. The American funk and soul-jazz saxophonist Maceo Parker, known for his work with James Brown and Parliament-Funkadelic, made it widely recognized.

Did you know? Maceo is a spelling variant of Mateo, so it keeps the same core meaning of 'gift of Yahweh ' while changing the visual style.

Overall data confidence 78%

Behind the Name - Maceo — etymology, usage, pronunciation, and related formsU.S. Social Security Administration — 2024 popularity rank and count supplied in the batch input CSV

Variations

MatevosMatiaMattaniahMatthewMattithiah

Nicknames

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Famous Bearers

★Maceo Parker (1943–present)
American funk and soul-jazz saxophonist, known for work with James Brown and Parliament-Funkadelic.

If you like Maceo…

Matthew— Listed as a variation and the best-known name sharing Maceo's 'gift of Yahweh' meaning.

Matheo— shares Maceo's Spanish roots

Tadeo— echoes that soft -eo sound

Malikai— a similarly popular pick

Malaki— a fellow American choice

Explore names like Maceo

By themeamerican spanish

By meaningGod / Divine Gift / Blessing

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Maceo mean?

Maceo is usually explained as meaning 'gift of Yahweh ' and is most often linked with Spanish tradition.

How do you pronounce Maceo?

It's commonly said mah-SE-o /ma.ˈte.o/.

Is Maceo a boy or girl name?

In this batch and in recent U.S. usage data, Maceo is used as a boy name.

How popular is Maceo?

In 2024, Maceo ranked #2158 in the U.S. for boys, with 68 births recorded.