How to say it
mat · TE · o
/mɑˈteɪ.oʊ/
Masculine
Matteo
Gift of God
What it means
Italian form of Matthew, from Hebrew Mattityahu ('gift of Yahweh'). The Italian double-T spelling distinguishes it from the Spanish Mateo and the Portuguese Mateus.
Matteo is the Italian form of Matthew, from the Hebrew Mattityahu ('gift of Yahweh'). The Italian spelling with double T marks it as Italian-tradition; the Spanish form is Mateo (one T) and the Portuguese is Mateus. Matteo da Bascio founded the Capuchin order in the 1520s. The English-speaking US adopted Matteo in earnest in the 2000s, particularly in Italian-American families. It entered the US top 100 in 2020 and is climbing. Common short: Teo.
Popularity over time
peaked at #138 in 2024, currently #146 in 2025.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, names given to at least 5 babies in a year, 1880–present. See where the names are moving
Heads-up notes
- Spelling
Matteo (Italian, double T) and Mateo (Spanish, single T) are the same name; pick by family tradition.
Who's worn it
Historical figures, characters, and public faces who share the name. The cultural surface, for whatever weight you want to give it.
- Matteo Ricci 16th-century Italian Jesuit missionary to China
Spelling variants
- Mateo
- Matthew
- Matthias
Names with the same feeling
See Matteo from another angle
By meaning
By style