Find out how popular the last name Mateo is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Mateo.

Mateo, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Mateo surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Mateo in America

Mateo is the 2623rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Mateo surname appeared 13,746 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 5 people would have the surname Mateo.

We can also compare 2010 data for Mateo to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Mateo

The surname Mateo has its origins in the Spanish and Italian languages, and it is derived from the Hebrew name Mattathias, which means "gift of God." The name is believed to have emerged in Spain and Italy during the Middle Ages.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Mateo can be found in the records of the town of Seville, Spain, where a man named Juan Mateo was listed as a landowner in the year 1312. In the same period, the surname also appeared in Italian records, such as the birth record of a child named Pietro Mateo in the city of Florence in 1328.

During the 15th century, the surname Mateo gained popularity across Spain and Italy, and it was often associated with prominent families and individuals. For example, a Spanish nobleman named Rodrigo Mateo de Mendoza (1454-1523) was a renowned military leader and served as the Governor of Castile during the reign of King Ferdinand II.

In the 16th century, the surname Mateo spread to other parts of Europe, including France and England, where it was sometimes anglicized to "Matthew." One notable figure with this surname was the Italian philosopher and astronomer Galileo Galilei (1564-1642), whose full name was Galileo di Vincenzo Bonaiuti de' Galilei Mateo.

Another significant historical figure with the surname Mateo was the Spanish painter Juan de Mateo (1618-1683), who was known for his religious works and portraits. His paintings can be found in various churches and museums throughout Spain.

In the 18th century, the surname Mateo also appeared in the Americas, particularly in Mexico and other Spanish-speaking regions. One example is the Mexican writer and philosopher José Mateo Quintana (1738-1805), who was a pioneer in the field of education and played a crucial role in the establishment of several schools in his native country.

Throughout history, the surname Mateo has been associated with numerous notable individuals, spanning various fields such as art, literature, philosophy, and politics. While the name may have evolved slightly in its spelling and pronunciation across different regions, its roots can be traced back to the Spanish and Italian cultures, where it has a rich and diverse heritage.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Mateo

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Mateo.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Mateo was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Mateo has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Mateo was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Mateo, please contact us.

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