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

Mateu, 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 Mateu surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Mateu in America

Mateu is the 104602nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Mateu surname appeared 171 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Mateu.

We can also compare 2010 data for Mateu 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 Mateu

The surname Mateu originated in Catalonia, a region in northeastern Spain, around the 13th century. It is derived from the Latin name Mattheus, which in turn comes from the Hebrew name Mattathyahu, meaning "gift of God." The name was initially used as a personal name before becoming a hereditary surname.

Mateu is a variant spelling of the more common Spanish surname Mateo, which shares the same origins. The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in medieval Catalan documents and records, often referring to individuals from prominent families or members of the clergy.

One notable early reference to the name Mateu can be found in the "Llibre dels Fets" (Book of Deeds), a chronicle written by King James I of Aragon in the 13th century, which mentions a certain Ramon Mateu, a nobleman and military leader.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in the "Llibre del Repartiment" (Book of Distribution), a record of land grants made to nobles and settlers during the Christian reconquest of Valencia. This document includes entries for individuals with the surname Mateu, indicating their presence in the region during this period.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Mateu:

1. Arnau Mateu (c. 1350 - c. 1410), a Catalan physician and writer, known for his works on medicine and alchemy.
2. Jaume Mateu Lladó (1882 - 1936), a Catalan artist and painter, renowned for his landscapes and still-life paintings.
3. Francesc Mateu i Llopis (1901 - 1998), a Spanish numismatist and archaeologist, known for his contributions to the study of ancient coinage.
4. Josep Mateu Ferrer (1912 - 1997), a Catalan architect and urban planner, responsible for the design of several notable buildings in Barcelona.
5. Jordi Mateu (born 1962), a Spanish writer and journalist, known for his novels and works of non-fiction.

The name Mateu has also been associated with various place names in Catalonia and the Valencian Community, such as Mateu de Bages, a municipality in the province of Barcelona, and Mateu de Cerdanya, a village in the Pyrenees region.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Mateu

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

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 Mateu 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 Mateu 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 Mateu was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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