Matteo
Meaning
gift of God
The story
Matteo is the Italian form of Matthew, and behind both is the Hebrew Mattityahu, traditionally read as gift of God. The doubled t is the Italian signature; the same name is Mateo in Spanish with one t, and the two spellings are often used interchangeably in the United States even though they belong to different languages. Our own data files Matteo in Italian, Italian American and Italian Brazilian naming communities, which is a useful reminder that Italian emigration went south as well as west. In US records it is almost entirely a boys' name, about 33,500 to 16. The climb is recent and steep: 676 babies in the 1990s, 3,241 in the 2000s, and more than 14,600 in the 2010s. Three syllables, no nickname required, and no adjustment needed in any of its languages.
Popularity, 1890–2024
Shape drawn from US Social Security baby-name records. Matteo peaked in the 2020s.
See popularity in Brazil
Popularity in Brazil
6,634 people · the #2,250 first name in Brazil · about 1 in 30,303 · median age 1
Among people named Matteo living in Brazil at the 2022 census, more were born in the 2010s than in any other decade.
The census also counted 4,893 born between 2020 and August 2022, too recent a span to chart.
Source: IBGE, Censo Demográfico 2022
When you meet Matteo
Most people given the name Matteo in the United States are children or teenagers today. The name belongs to this generation.
Estimated from US Social Security birth registrations and typical lifespans; a rough guide, not a rule.
The Matteo deep dive
Whether you’re naming a baby or exploring your own name’s history, this is a personal letter, not a list: where Matteo truly comes from, how it traveled, and what a century of records reveals. If you have grown a tree on nametree, it also considers how Matteo fits with your family’s names and surname.
Where Matteo travels
Italian American · a beloved modern favorite
German · gift of God (Italian-German crossover, hugely trendy)
Italian · gift of God (Italian form of Matthew)
Keep exploring
Names like Matteo · Middle names for Matteo · Italian Brazilian baby names · German baby names · Italian baby names · Italian American baby names
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