Mateo

♀ Girl

Pronounced mah-TAY-oh /maˈte.o/High

Meaning: The Spanish form of Matthew, from Hebrew Mattityahu, 'gift of Yahweh; gift of God'. It is overwhelmingly a boy's name in Spanish-speaking countries and in the U.S.; girls' use is very rare, and we note the lean clearly.Medium

In 30 seconds: Mateo is the Spanish Matthew — 'gift of God'. It is overwhelmingly a boy's name, which we note clearly (said 'mah-TAY-oh').

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Origin MediumSpanish, Hebrew

MeaningThe Spanish form of Matthew, from Hebrew Mattityahu, 'gift of Yahweh; gift of God'. It is overwhelmingly a boy's name in Spanish-speaking countries and in the U.S.; girls' use is very rare, and we note the lean clearly.

U.S. rank (2024)#14592 ↘ Falling

2024 U.S. births6 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)

Peak year2023

Total births (all-time)≈ 73

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

Mateo is the Spanish form of Matthew, from Hebrew Mattityahu, 'gift of Yahweh'. It carries the weight of Matthew the evangelist and has been a top boys' name across Spain and Latin America and, more recently, the U.S. Its use for girls is very rare, and the boys' lean is overwhelming — we note it clearly (said 'mah-TAY-oh').

For girls it appears only rarely in the U.S., against very heavy boys' use. Rare for girls, strongly boy-leaning.

Did you know? Mateo is one of the most popular boys' names in the Spanish-speaking world, the form of Matthew the evangelist. Girls' use is very rare, and the lean is strongly to boys — we say so plainly (said 'mah-TAY-oh').

Overall data confidence 60%

References — Mateo — Spanish form of Matthew; Hebrew Mattityahu 'gift of God'; strong boy-lean

Variations

MatteoMatheoMatthew

Nicknames

MatTeo

Famous Bearers

Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Mateo…

Matea— the feminine Spanish form of the same name

Mattea— the Italian feminine of the same root

Matilda— a like Mat- name for girls

Marisol— a like Spanish girl's name

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Mateo mean?

Mateo is the Spanish form of Matthew, from Hebrew Mattityahu, 'gift of God'.

How do you pronounce Mateo?

It's said mah-TAY-oh /maˈte.o/ — three syllables, stress on the middle one.

Is Mateo a boy or girl name?

Mateo is overwhelmingly a boy's name in Spanish-speaking countries and in the U.S.; girls' use is very rare. The feminine form is Matea.

How popular is Mateo?

Mateo is a very popular boys' name in the U.S. and across the Spanish-speaking world; for girls it is rare.