Boy · Hebrew · New Testament · Biblically inspired

Mateo

mah-TAY-oh · means “Gift of God”

Mateo is the Spanish form of Matthew, meaning "gift of God." It is not itself the exact form used in most English Bible translations, but it derives directly from Matthew, the tax collector Jesus called to follow Him and who wrote the Gospel that bears his name.

“For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

The story behind the name

Mateo has become one of the fastest-rising boys' names in the United States in recent years, carried along by Spanish-speaking communities and admired widely for its warm, musical sound.

Matthew worked as a tax collector, a profession most Jews of his day despised for its corruption and collaboration with Rome. Jesus walked up to his tax booth and simply said, "Follow me," and Matthew got up and left everything behind (Matthew 9:9).

Matthew then threw a dinner for Jesus filled with other tax collectors and sinners, prompting criticism from religious leaders. Jesus answered them plainly: "I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners" (Matthew 9:13). A boy named Mateo carries the story of a gift freely given to someone the world had written off.

Middle names that sing with Mateo

Chosen for rhythm and meanings that speak to each other.

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