boy's name
Matteo
ma-TAY-oh
- Origin Hebrew
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 3
- Letters 6
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 90,909
the United States
#146
2025 births
Matteo is a boy's name of Hebrew origin meaning "gift of God." It is the Italian form of Matthew, from Mattityahu, and is now among the fastest-rising European names in both Britain and America.
- Matteo is a name of Hebrew origin.
- Peaked in 2024, when 2,589 babies were given the name.
- It has been rising over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 1,350 babies in the United States is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1911.
- 3 syllables, with the stress on syllable 2.
Matteo over time
Births per decade in France, 1920s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1920s | 35 |
| 1930s | 25 |
| 1950s | 45 |
| 1960s | 105 |
| 1970s | 75 |
| 1980s | 150 |
| 1990s | 1,860 |
| 2000s | 24,830 |
| 2010s | 11,285 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 5,820 |
What Matteo means
Matteo means gift of God, from mattan, gift, and yahu, the divine name. As with Nathaniel, the Hebrew is a complete statement of thanks rather than a description.
Where Matteo comes from
Matteo is the Italian form of the Hebrew Mattityahu, from mattan, a gift, and yah, God — the name of the tax collector who became one of the twelve apostles and is traditionally credited with the first gospel. Greek rendered it Matthaios, Latin Matthaeus, and from there every European language took a version: Matthew, Mathieu, Mateo, Matthias and Matteo among them. Theodore, from Greek, means exactly the same thing by a different route.
Matteo in use
Our data shows Matteo peaking in 2024 and still rising, and it first appears in our records in 1911. Its climb is part of a broader British and American taste for Italian forms — Matteo, Luca, Leonardo and Alessandro have risen together over the last decade.
How popular is Matteo?
In 2025, Matteo was given to 2,455 babies in the United States, ranking #146 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Where Matteo is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
How Matteo is spelled
Birth registers count each spelling separately, so every one has its own ranking.
| Spelling | What it is | Births on record |
|---|---|---|
| Mattéo | Mattéo is Matteo written with an acute accent, used in France, where it ranks #120. | 37,375 |
| Mattëo | Mattëo is a rare spelling of Matteo, written with a diaeresis and recorded about 15 times, mostly in France. | 15 |
Names that peaked alongside Matteo
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Matteo also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Matteo over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
4 nicknames for Matteo
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Matteo in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Matteo
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Matteo — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Matteo
What does the name Matteo mean?
Matteo means "gift of God," from the Hebrew mattan, gift, and yah, God.
What is the difference between Matteo and Mateo?
Matteo is the Italian spelling with a doubled t; Mateo is the Spanish one.
Do Matthew and Theodore mean the same thing?
Effectively yes — both mean gift of God, one from Hebrew and one from Greek.
How popular is the name Matteo?
In 2025, Matteo was given to 2,455 babies in the United States, ranking #146 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Is Matteo a girl's or a boy's name?
Matteo is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Matteo?
Matteo has 3 syllables.
When was Matteo most popular?
Matteo peaked in 2024, when 2,589 babies were given the name. It has been rising over the past decade.
What are the nicknames for Matteo?
Matteo is usually shortened to Teo, Matt, Mattie and Matty.
Is Matteo a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Matteo currently ranks #61 in the United States. It has been rising over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.