2000
#3,811
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,540
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.17
Uncommon Last name
Mateo
A Spanish surname derived from the Latin name Matthaeus, meaning "gift of Yahweh" or "gift of God."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 17,228 Americans carry the last name Mateo. That puts it at #2,369 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 5.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 19,895 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mateo surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Mateo with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
17K
1 in 19,895
Census rank
#2,369
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
5.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
15K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 15,024 bearers of the surname Mateo in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 5.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2369th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mateo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 82.3%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (11.3%) and White (4.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mateo
Among Census respondents with the surname Mateo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 82.3%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (11.3%) and White (4.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Mateo bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Mateo surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino82.3% · 12,359
- Asian and Pacific Islander11.3% · 1,704
- White4.0% · 605
- Two or more races1.2% · 183
- Black or African American1.0% · 147
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 26
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mateo
Mateo appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#2,623
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 13,746
+5,206 bearers (+61.0%)
Per 100,000 4.66
Rank movement Up 1,188 places
2020
#2,369
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 15,024
+1,278 bearers (+9.3%)
Per 100,000 5.03
Rank movement Up 254 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,811 | 8,540 | 3.17 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,623 | 13,746 | 4.66 | +5,206 bearers (+61.0%) | Up 1,188 places |
| 2020 | #2,369 | 15,024 | 5.03 | +1,278 bearers (+9.3%) | Up 254 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Mateo surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #2,623 | #2,369 | 9.7% |
| Count | 13,746 | 15,024 | 9.3% |
| Per 100K | 4.66 | 5.03 | 7.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mateo bearers went from 13,746 to 15,024 (+9.3% change). The surname moved up 254 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,623 to #2,369.
FAQ
Mateo surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mateo?
Name Census estimates that about 17,228 living Americans carry the surname Mateo. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 19,895 residents.
How common is Mateo?
Mateo ranks #2,369 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 5.03 per 100,000 residents, which is about 5 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 15,024 people with the surname Mateo. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (17,228), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 5.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 5.03 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 5 of them to have the surname Mateo.
Has Mateo become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mateo went from 13,746 recorded bearers to 15,024. That is an increase of 1,278 (+9.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #2,623 to #2,369.
What does the Census say about the background of Mateo?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mateo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 82.3%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (11.3%) and White (4.0%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Mateo in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.3% (12,359 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mateo appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (82.3%), Asian/Pacific Islander (11.3%), White (4.0%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Mateo (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Mateo mean?
A Spanish surname derived from the Latin name Matthaeus, meaning "gift of Yahweh" or "gift of God." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Mateo (5.03 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people share the surname Mateo?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.