2000
#14,115
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,956
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.73
Rare Last name
Matteo
An Italian surname derived from the given name Matteo, meaning "gift of God."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,222 Americans carry the last name Matteo. That puts it at #14,709 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.65 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 154,255 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Matteo 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.
Bearers in the US
2.2K
1 in 154,255
Census rank
#14,709
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,938 bearers of the surname Matteo in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.65 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14709th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Matteo, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.3%) and Two or More Races (1.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Matteo
The surname Matteo originated in Italy during the medieval period. Its roots can be traced back to the Latin name Matthaeus, which was derived from the Hebrew name Mattithyahu, meaning "gift of God." The earliest known use of the name Matteo dates back to the 12th century in various regions of Italy.
The name Matteo was initially most prevalent in the northern regions of Italy, particularly in the areas surrounding the cities of Milan and Genoa. It later spread to other parts of the country, including the central and southern regions. The name was often associated with individuals from noble or affluent families during this time period.
Historical records indicate that the name Matteo appeared in several notable documents and manuscripts from the Middle Ages. For instance, the name can be found in the Libri Iurium, a collection of legal documents from the city of Genoa dating back to the 12th and 13th centuries.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Matteo is that of Matteo Visconti, a powerful nobleman and Lord of Milan, who lived from 1250 to 1322. Another noteworthy figure was Matteo Ricci, an Italian Jesuit priest and one of the founding figures of the Catholic missions in China, who lived from 1552 to 1610.
During the Renaissance period, the surname Matteo gained further prominence. Matteo Palmieri, an Italian Renaissance humanist, diplomat, and author, lived from 1406 to 1475 and is best known for his work "Della vita civile" ("On Civic Life").
In the 17th century, the Italian painter and architect Matteo Preti, also known as Il Cavalier Calabrese, left a lasting impact on the art world. He lived from 1613 to 1699 and was renowned for his religious paintings and architectural designs.
Another notable figure with the surname Matteo was Matteo Ripa, an Italian painter and architect active in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. He was known for his work on several churches and palaces in Rome and its surrounding areas.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Matteo
Among Census respondents with the surname Matteo, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.3%) and Two or More Races (1.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Matteo 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 Matteo surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.7% · 1,680
- Hispanic or Latino10.3% · 200
- Two or more races1.6% · 31
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 16
- Black or African American0.4% · 7
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Matteo
Matteo 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
#14,382
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,078
+122 bearers (+6.2%)
Per 100,000 0.70
Rank movement Down 267 places
2020
#14,709
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,938
-140 bearers (-6.7%)
Per 100,000 0.65
Rank movement Down 327 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,115 | 1,956 | 0.73 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,382 | 2,078 | 0.70 | +122 bearers (+6.2%) | Down 267 places |
| 2020 | #14,709 | 1,938 | 0.65 | -140 bearers (-6.7%) | Down 327 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 Matteo 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 | #14,382 | #14,709 | -2.3% |
| Count | 2,078 | 1,938 | -6.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.70 | 0.65 | -7.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Matteo bearers went from 2,078 to 1,938 (-6.7% change). The surname moved down 327 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,382 to #14,709.
FAQ
Matteo surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Matteo?
Name Census estimates that about 2,222 living Americans carry the surname Matteo. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 154,255 residents.
How common is Matteo?
Matteo ranks #14,709 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.65 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,938 people with the surname Matteo. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,222), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.65 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.65 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Matteo.
Has Matteo become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Matteo went from 2,078 recorded bearers to 1,938. That is a decrease of 140 (-6.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #14,382 to #14,709.
What does the Census say about the background of Matteo?
Among Census respondents with the surname Matteo, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.3%) and Two or More Races (1.6%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Matteo in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.7% (1,680 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Matteo appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.7%), Hispanic (10.3%), Two or More Races (1.6%). 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 Matteo (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 Matteo mean?
An Italian surname derived from the given name Matteo, meaning "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 Matteo (0.65 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 Americans have the surname Matteo?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.