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Home › Baby Names Directory › Mates

Mates

♂ Boy

Pronounced MAH-tes /ˈmɑ.tɛs/Medium

Meaning: Mates is a short or pet form of Matthew — from Hebrew Mattityahu, 'gift of God' — used across Czech, Slovak and Central European naming. It sits with Mates, Matej and Matyas in the same family.Low

In 30 seconds: Mates belongs to the Matthew family — 'gift of God' — a short Central European form (said 'MAH-tes').
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Origin LowHebrew, Czech, Hungarian
MeaningMates is a short or pet form of Matthew — from Hebrew Mattityahu, 'gift of God' — used across Czech, Slovak and Central European naming. It sits with Mates, Matej and Matyas in the same family.
U.S. rank (2024)#13471 ↘ Falling
2024 U.S. births5 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)
Peak year2017
Total births (all-time)≈ 16

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 201720162024

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

Mates is a pet form of Matthew found in Czech, Slovak and neighboring naming traditions, tracing back to Hebrew Mattityahu, 'gift of God'. Matthew was one of the twelve apostles, which carried the name across Europe in dozens of shapes; Mates is one of the shortest and warmest (said 'MAH-tes').

It appears rarely for boys in the U.S. Rare, friendly, and heritage-rooted.

Did you know? Mates is a Central European short form of Matthew, whose Hebrew root Mattityahu means 'gift of God' — the same root behind Matej, Matyas and Mateusz (said 'MAH-tes').
Overall data confidence 50%
References — Mates — Short form of Matthew (Mattityahu, 'gift of God'); Central European use

Variations

MatejMateoMatthew

Nicknames

MatMatty

Famous Bearers

  • Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Mates…

Mateo— the same 'gift of God' root
Matthew— the parent name
Matej— a close Slavic cousin
Matteo— the Italian counterpart

Explore names like Mates

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Mates mean?

Mates is a short form of Matthew, from Hebrew Mattityahu, 'gift of God'.

How do you pronounce Mates?

It's said MAH-tes /ˈmɑ.tɛs/ — two syllables, stress on the first.

Is Mates a boy or girl name?

Mates is used as a boy's name.

How popular is Mates?

Mates is a rare name for boys in the U.S.

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