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Mateo vs Diego

Which is more popular?
Mateo is more popular than Diego today: about 11,045 US babies were given the name Mateo in 2025, compared with 2,351 named Diego.
MateoDiego
Meaning gift of God uncertain; linked to James/Didacus
Origin spanish spanish
Gender Boy Boy
Pronunciation ma-TEH-o dee-EH-go
Syllables 3 2
First appeared19041887
Peak year2024 (11,349)2006 (8,403)
In 202511,0452,351
TrendNear its peakDeclining
Popularity over time, 1880–2025
Mateo Diego
1900192019401960198020002020

Source: US Social Security Administration.

Births by decade

DecadeMateoDiego
2020s 62,272 16,414
2010s 50,604 33,386
2000s 10,490 56,041
1990s 2,010 13,459
1980s 370 3,902
1970s 285 1,244
1960s 102 633
1950s 116 350
1940s 112 224
1930s 102 188
1920s 162 197
1910s 63 112
1900s 5 5
1880s 0 5

What does Mateo mean?

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.

What does Diego mean?

A Spanish name of genuinely disputed origin. Traditionally explained as a short form of Santiago (Sant-Yago, 'Saint James', from Hebrew Jacob), but many scholars now derive it instead from the Latin Didacus — itself possibly from the Greek didache 'teaching'. The two theories remain unresolved, so any single 'meaning' should be treated with caution.

Frequently asked questions

Is Mateo or Diego more popular?

Mateo is more popular than Diego today: about 11,045 US babies were given the name Mateo in 2025, compared with 2,351 named Diego.

What is the difference between Mateo and Diego?

Mateo means gift of God (spanish origin), while Diego means uncertain; linked to James/Didacus (spanish origin).

Which name is older, Mateo or Diego?

In US records, Mateo first appears in 1904 and Diego in 1887, so Diego has the longer recorded history.