| Benjamín | Mateo | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | son of the right hand | gift of God |
| Origin | spanish | spanish |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | ben-hah-MEEN | ma-TEH-o |
| Syllables | 3 | 3 |
| First appeared | 1880 | 1904 |
| Peak year | 1989 (15,733) | 2024 (11,349) |
| In 2025 | 9,762 | 11,045 |
| Trend | Steady | Near its peak |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Benjamín | Mateo |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 64,922 | 62,272 |
| 2010s | 134,509 | 50,604 |
| 2000s | 137,309 | 10,490 |
| 1990s | 133,939 | 2,010 |
| 1980s | 141,366 | 370 |
| 1970s | 81,332 | 285 |
| 1960s | 25,609 | 102 |
| 1950s | 23,833 | 116 |
| 1940s | 17,184 | 112 |
| 1930s | 14,613 | 102 |
| 1920s | 21,028 | 162 |
| 1910s | 17,310 | 63 |
| 1900s | 4,009 | 5 |
| 1890s | 4,460 | 0 |
| 1880s | 5,407 | 0 |
The Spanish form of Benjamin, from the Hebrew Binyamin, 'son of the right hand' (ben 'son' + yamin 'right hand', implying the south, or favor and strength). In Genesis he is the youngest son of Jacob and Rachel.
The Spanish form of Matthew, from the Hebrew Mattityahu, meaning 'gift of Yahweh' (mattan 'gift' + Yah, a name of God). It reached Spanish through the Greek Matthaios and Latin Matthaeus, the name of the apostle and gospel-writer.
Mateo is more popular than Benjamín today: about 11,045 US babies were given the name Mateo in 2025, compared with 9,762 named Benjamín.
Benjamín means son of the right hand (spanish origin), while Mateo means gift of God (spanish origin).
In US records, Benjamín first appears in 1880 and Mateo in 1904, so Benjamín has the longer recorded history.