Alan mateo

Alessio, simpler than the related Alessandro, would be a welcome settler here. 

Alessio

Alfonso was a royal name in Spain as far back as the 7th century, but it is rarely heard outside the Hispanic community in the US.

Alfonso

Alonso is the Spanish and Portuguese diminutive version of Alfonso, itself deriving from an old Germanic name "Adalfuns" meaning "noble and ready." Although the Italian spelling Alonzo is more popular in the US, Alonso has its own strong history. 


Alonso Quijano was the real name of Don Quixote — and the name of two characters in the Judy Garland musical Meet Me in St. Louis. It is also the surname of star Formula 1 driver Fernando Alonso.

Alonso

A romantic choice, this appealing <a href="https://nameberry.com/baby-names/496/spanish-names-for-boys">Spanish name for boys</a> is both accessible and distinctive.

Amado

Angel mateo

Antonio is a Shakespearean favorite -- the Bard used it in no less than five of his plays, and has long been a ubiquitous classic in Spanish-speaking countries, where the nickname Tonio is also prevalent. Antonio is also among an elite group of perennially popular names in the US, where it has always been among the boys' Top 1000 since baby name record-keeping started in 1880.

Antonio

Axel mateo

Smoldering Spanish actor Benicio Del Toro made this version an American possibility. It debuted on the US Top 1000 in 2016, when it was the third-fastest-rising boys' name.

Benicio

Carlos mateo

Carmelo is a well-used Hispanic name associated with Mt. Carmel, home of the prophet Elijah and the location of the convent for the order of Carmelites. Carmelo is also a saint's name and — in modern times — tied to basketball player Carmelo Anthony.

Carmelo

Roman statesman's name with a cool and quirky sound. Marcus Tullius Cicero was a Roman scholar, orator and lawyer who had an immense impact on the Latin language. 

Cicero

Variation of the popular religious name, boosted by megastar Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo.

Cristiano

The energetic Diego is rising rapidly along with a lot of other authentically <a href="https://nameberry.com/baby-names/161/spanish-names">Spanish baby names</a> that work perfectly well with surnames of any origin. 
 Possibly a derivative of Santiago, Diego is a Sevillian saint, and one notable cultural namesake is Mexican painter Diego Rivera.

Diego

Dylan mateo

A stalwart of Latin nomenclature that could work just as well for Anglos. Proof lies with the celebrity birth announcement — Hilaria and Alec Baldwin named their fifth child Eduardo Pau Lucas in 2020. This doesn't seem to have much impact on other parents, though: over 900 boys received the name in 2021, but the number is steadily decreasing.

Eduardo

Elio is a sunny and spirited Italian and Spanish name that makes a great crossover prospect, which could catch on as Enzo has. Elio is also currently popular in France, ranking in the Top 250.

Elio

Dashing and popular Italian and Spanish favorite, as is Emiliano. With the popularity of girl names Emily and Emilia and of Italian names for boys, this one is sure to receive more attention.

Actor Emilio Estevez heightened the profile of this name.

Emilio

Enzo originated as the Italian variation of Heinz, a German name derived from Heinrich, related to Henry. It has historically been used as a short form for Italian names such as Vincenzo and Lorenzo. The most famous bearer of the name is Enzo Ferrari, founder of the luxury sports car brand.
 
Like Leonardo and Luca, Enzo is one of the confident and captivating Italian names beginning to be used by parents of all ethnic backgrounds, including Patricia Arquette and Annabeth Gish. In addition to its native country, Enzo is currently mega popular in France and is one of the <a href="https://nameberry.com/baby-names/166/italian-names">top Italian baby names</a> in the US.

Enzo

Francisco is one of the more popular <a href="https://nameberry.com/baby-names/496/spanish-names-for-boys">Spanish names for boys</a> in the US, which is unsurprising given its popularity back in Spain and Portugal as well as Latin America, coupled with its classic status. It also has a cool hipster vibe to it, given the reputation of the city of San Francisco.

Francisco

Giorgio as is rich in meaning and history as George, but with more Italian flair. It's a consistent Top 50 hit in Italy, and with Italian boy names like Gianni and Lorenzo rising through the charts, could be another one to add to the mix.
The best-known modern bearer is fashion designer Giorgio Armani.

Giorgio

Hugo, the Latin form of Hugh, has more heft and energy than the original -- and of course we love names that end (or begin, for that matter) with an o. This one is especially appealing because it's backed up by lots of solid history and European style.
 Hugo is one of those names that misses by a single year ranking in the Top 1000 for its entire history. It fell off the list in 1948, the height of post-WWII pro-American fervor, before heading back up.
 Hugh has held steady in the middle of the US Top 1000 for more than 40 years now, but we predict might be headed for the kind of popularity it enjoys in the rest of the English-speaking world and many European countries.
 Hugo ranks in or near the Top 100 in countries and cultures as diverse as Sweden and Spain, France and Finland. It's also a favorite boys' name on Nameberry, usually a harbinger of future success in the US as a whole.
 In the seventh Harry Potter novel, Ron and Hermione bestow the name Hugo on their son. Hugo Strange, meanwhile, is a longtime adversary of Batman. 
 Real-life Hugos include Hugo Chavez, the late president of Venezuela, and the fashion world's Hugo Boss. In the more distant past there was the distinguished Supreme Court Justice Hugo Black.
 Trivia tidbit: The annual awards for sci-fi writing are called the Hugos, honoring early genre writer Hugo Gernsback.

Hugo

Humberto

Ian mateo

Iker mateo

Indigo is one of the most appealing and evocative of the new generation of color names. Color names have joined flower and jewel names -- in a big way -- and Indigo, a deep blue-purple dye from plants native to India, is particularly striking for both girls and boys. Although most people don't think of it like this, Indigo might also be considered among the most stylish <a href="https://nameberry.com/baby-names/167/greek-names">Greek baby names</a> in use today.

Some cultural references: The Indigo Girls are a folk duo, 'Mood Indigo' is a classic Duke Ellington jazz composition, and there is a 1970's New Age theory that Indigo children possess special, sometimes supernatural abilities. Indigo is the name of a character in the Ntozake Shange novel Sassafrass, Cypress & Indigo, and was used for his daughter by Lou Diamond Phillips.

Indigo

Jesus mateo

Jose mateo

Juan mateo

For centuries this name was associated primarily with the towering figure of Italian Renaissance painter-scientist-inventor Leonardo da Vinci, and was scarcely used outside the Latin culture. 

But then along came Leonardo DiCaprio, who was supposedly given the name because his pregnant mother felt her first kick while looking at a da Vinci painting in the Ufizzi Gallery in Florence, and who would make the name young and handsome and multi-cultural. 
 Leonardo is a popular choice among other attractive Italian and <a href="https://nameberry.com/baby-names/806/spanish-names-for-boys">Spanish names for boys</a>, and its cousin Leo is popular as well.

Leonardo

Liam mateo

Latinizing Lawrence gives it a whole new lease on life. Like Leonardo, Lorenzo has been integrated into the American stockpot of names, partly via actor Lorenzo Lamas. Other associations are with Lorenzo de' Medici, the Florentine Renaissance merchant prince and art patron, Renaissance artists Ghiberti and Lotto, and the upstanding young man who married Shylock's daughter Jessica in Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice.
 It would work well with a simple one-syllable Anglo name--in the depths of radio history, there was a soap opera character named Lorenzo Jones. And Nicole 'Snooki' Polizzi made this choice for her son.
 Renzo and Enzo are both appealing nicknames, sometimes used on their own.

Lorenzo

The related Lucas and Luke are both hugely popular boy names in the US and internationally, and now Luca has joined them on boys' popularity lists around the world.

That's an astonishing success story for a name that was virtually unknown a generation ago. Only 13 baby boys were named Luca in the US in 1980, and by 1990 it was still only 32. But by the turn of the century, Luca took off and has now surpassed his more familiar brother Luke in the US.

Boy names ending in vowel sounds may have felt too feminine to early generations who lived by more conventional gender rules. And that old school he-man America also may have rejected names like Luca for being too "foreign". But in this era of Noah and Mateo, Elijah and Ezra, Luca has finally found widespread acceptance.
Along with its popularity in the US, Luca ranks highly in a range of countries that speak English, Spanish, French, and German, among others. While Luca is technically related to Luke and Lucas and so takes their ancient Roman habitational meaning, you might also see it as a relative of Lucius or Lucian, meaning light.
 Colin Firth and his Italian wife chose Luca for one of their sons, as did Hilary Duff, Vincent d'Onofrio, Rebecca Minkoff, and Jacinda Barrett and Gabriel Macht.

Luca

Luis mateo

This semi-obscure historic name was recently chosen for their son by Halle Berry and Olivier Martinez.
 A possible namesake is Maceo Grajales, a Cuban guerrilla leader who was second-in-command of the Army of Independence. Another is Harlem Renaissance figure Maceo Pinkard, composer of the song "Sweet Georgia Brown."

Maceo

An interesting international form of a biblical classic, containing the cool "Kai" sound.

Makaio

Makeo is a rare name, which peaked in usage in the USA in 2012, when it was given to six little boys. Despite this rarity, its similarity to names like Mateo (to which it is related), Arlo, etc. means it is ripe for a spike in popularity. 

Makeo

Simple and universal, Marco is a Latin classic that would make a much livelier namesake for an Uncle Mark. It was used for her son by actress Jill Hennessy and goes well with surnames of any nationality.
 Marco, related to the Roman god Mars, has long been associated with Marco Polo, the thirteenth century Venetian merchant-traveler who was instrumental in introducing Europeans to Asian culture. Eugene O'Neill wrote a play called Marco Millions, based on the life of Marco Polo.
 More recent noteworthy Marcos are Marco Andretti, Indy race car driver grandson of the legendary Mario, and Marco Rubio, Florida senator. The name can also be found in two early Dr. Seuss books.

Marco

Mateo alejandro

Mateo alexander

Mateo de jesus

Mateo sebastian

The most popular variation of this Biblical name is Mateo, which has now surpassed the classic Matthew. Matteo is not far behind, and other variations are rising fast as well. Mateos is a variation used throughout Ethiopia that has yet to make it to the Western world, despite its super cool sound and wide appeal.

Mateos

With Mateo making its first ever appearance in the US Top 10 in 2023, its Scandinavian variant Matheo borrowed some of its spotlight and appeared in the Top 1000 for the first time. 
 
Popular in France, Belgium, Sweden, Norway, and Denmark, this could (letter-wise) be an alternative way to get to the nickname Theo if Theodore isn't your thing, but in terms of pronunciation, it lends itself more to Matt, Matty, or Teo.

Matheo

Commonly found in France — you're more likely to meet a Matthias in the US.

Mathys

The single T version of Matias is, like Mateo, the Spanish variation of the Hebrew Biblical Matthias or Matthew, while the double T version as in Mattias and Matteo is usually Italian.

Matias

Thoroughly masculine in Central Europe, although it may be misconstrued as a feminine name in English-speaking countries.

Matija

Still one of the most appealing short forms, which goes a long way toward explaining the sustained popularity of Matthew.  Matt is perennially the popular guy in high school, friendly, attractive, and comfortable with a baseball.  Matty or Mattie are cute for a younger boy.

Matt

This attractively energetic Italian version of the classic Matthew is primed to move further and further into mainstream American nomenclature. Mateo is technically the Spanish version, but many parents in the US use the two spellings interchangeably. 
 
In the US, about 12,000 baby boys were named Mateo, Matteo, or Teo in 2021, vaulting the name in all versions into the Top 10. Mateo alone, by far the most popular version, lies just outside the Top 10.
 Actor Colin Firth has a son called Matteo, as does Ricky Martin; the Benjamin Bratts and Tom Colicchios have boys named Mateo. We're sure that both these spellings will keep climbing in tandem, sharing the possibility of the lively nickname Teo.

Matteo

Matthew was the third most popular boys' name in America throughout the 1980s and '90s, and is still one of the top <a href="https://nameberry.com/search/boys-names/m">boy names starting with M</a>. The New Testament Matthew is the epitome of the fashionable classic—safe and sturdy, yet with a more engaging personality than John or William.
 
Matthew is the English derivative of Matthaios, the Greek form of the Hebrew Mattiyahu, composed of mattan, meaning "gift" and yah, in reference to God. The biblical Matthew was the apostle who wrote the first Gospel in the New Testament. Mateo, Matthias, Teo, Matek, and Mattia are among the many names derived from Matthew.
 Matthew is so common by now, though, that parents have started to seek fresher choices, like Matthew-inspired variations Matthias and Mateo. 
 
The name suddenly became very popular in the U.S. in the 1960s, with Matts appearing on many Western (e.g., Gunsmoke's Marshall Matt Dillon) and other TV shows. Currently there are several prominent real-life Matthews and Matts, including Broderick, McConaughey, Lauer, Damon and Dillon. Celebs who have chosen international versions for their starbabies include Ricky Martin (Matteo), Benjamin Bratt (Matteo), Colin Firth (Mateo) and Will Ferrell (Mattias).

Matthew

With Matthew sounding somewhat exhausted, and ancient endings sounding new again, this New Testament apostolic name makes an appealing and recommended choice. Both Mathias and Matias are well used in the Hispanic community, and throughout Europe. Will Ferrell and his Swedish wife chose Matias for their second son.
 In the Bible, Matthias is the apostle chosen to replace Judas Iscariot. The Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches honor Matthias as a saint.
 The Mathias spelling is used by George Eliot for the father of the protagonist of her novel Adam Bede.
 Matthias is popular abroad, and especially in Austria, France, The Netherlands, Iceland and Belgium, where it is normally pronounced Muh-TEE-us, though Americans are more likely to say Mah-THY-us.

Matthias

This particular spelling was chosen by Will Ferrell for his son, brother to Magnus. These names are both popular in Sweden, birthplace of their mother, Viveca Paulin.


Mattias

Matty

This version of the god name Neptune combines two hot trends: mythological names, and names ending in -o.

Netuno

Nico is one of the great nickname names, full of charm, energy and effortless cool -- a neo Nick.
 Nico is commonly heard in Italy -- as a short form of Niccolo -- and also in France, Belgium, Germany, Holland and Spanish-speaking countries.
 As a unisex nickname name, Nico is associated with the German-born single-named Velvet Underground singer (nee Christa) promoted by Andy Warhol. And Nico Reilly was one of the female leads on the TV series Lipstick Jungle. But over 90% of the American babies named Nico are boys.

Nico

Niko has been rising up the US popularity list for boys since the early 2000s, and floated lazily along at the bottom of the list since the 1980s.

Now, Niko ranks among the Top 300 boy names in the US, just a little behind twin brother Nico. Over 1100 baby boys were named Niko in the US last year and nearly 1500 names Nico, making the name as popular as Ashton and Zion, Jason and George.

Are Niko and Nico the new Nicholas and Nick? Not far off in popularity, and certainly more de la mode.

Niko

The most popular of the number names used by Hispanic parents, open to all. Octavia and Octavio are two <a href="https://nameberry.com/baby-names/161/spanish-names">Spanish baby names</a> that are moving out into the wider world.

Octavio

Ottavio

Rafael is perhaps the ultimate romantic Latino name, not a bad gift to give your son. The Raphael spelling is the original Hebrew version.

Equally appealing short forms include Rafe and Rafi.

Rafael

It wasn't so long ago that Romeo was considered as outre for an American baby as Casanova or Cupid. But that really changed when David and Victoria Beckham chose it for their second son in 2002, a path followed by Jon Bon Jovi.
 Romeo was not invented by the Bard, but was taken from his source material for the play.
Some sources say it descends from that of Romulus, one of the twin sons of Mars.

Romeo

Santiago is a spirited Spanish name with great crossover potential. It's a place-name (a city in Chile), a surname, and the name of the patron saint of Spain. 
 
Santiago has been rising through the popularity charts in the US for more than 30 years now, and shows no signs of slowing down. It might make a creative honor name for an ancestral James.
 Santiago has been featured in several works of fiction: it was the main character's name in Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea, in Gabriel Garcia Marquez's Chronicle of a Death Foretold and Paolo Coehlo's The Alchemist, and there was also a Santiago in Anne Rice's Interview with the Vampire.

Santiago

A name introduced here by The Godfather: James Caan played the anything-but-saintly Santino "Sonny" Corleone, and comedian Adam Carolla used it for his son.

Santino

Widely heard in both Italian and Spanish households, Sergio and his many international brothers are rooted in Sergius, one of the original Roman family names. The meaning is unknown, but possibly is related to servant or protector.

Other variations of Sergius heard around the world include the French Serge and the Russian and Eastern European Sergei. There have been four Popes named Sergius along with several saints.

Sergio has been well-used in the US since right after the second World War and still ranks among the top half of the US Top 1000 boys' names. It's a Top 100 boys' name in Spain and is also popular in Mexico.

Sergio

Has a lot of energy and charm, as does the Italian form, Taddeo. 

Tadeo

Tao is the Chinese word for the underlying harmony of the universe, combining both yin and yang. Extreme kayaker Tao Berman made this one of the <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/254/spiritual-baby-names">spiritual names</a> prime for adoption. Tao rhymes with cow.

An international take on Theo that would be easily wearable for a child in the US or any European culture. 

Traditionally a nickname for international variations of Theodore or Matthew, including ultra popular Mateo and Matteo, Teo can also stand on its own. In fact, Teo rose into the Top 1000 in 2022, proving its ability as a stand-alone name.

A solid classic with plenty of history, Thomas strikes the balance between strength and gentleness. A favorite in the UK, a staple in France, and Australia, and never absent from the US Top 100, Thomas feels like a safe bet and a name that fits into any era. 
The Greek form of the Aramaic name Ta’oma, Thomas means “twin.” It came about in the Bible because there were too many apostles called Judas, and so, Thomas became the “twin”, to reflect his close brotherhood with Jesus. 
Known as “Doubting Thomas” due to his initial skepticism of Jesus’s resurrection, he went on to become a martyr, and there was no need to doubt Thomas’s potential as a given name. 
Brought into common usage by the Normans, it was then always among the 5 most common English names for boys at any point between the 13th and 19th century. 
While it has fallen down the US charts in recent years, it remains a familiar and trusted choice. Given to over 6000 boys every year, it has made a steady climb back into the Top 50. 
Across the pond in the UK, both Thomas and Tommy make the Top 30, while Tom, Tommy-Lee and Tommie have made their mark in the Top 1000. 
As a well-established classic, Thomas naturally comes with plenty of noteworthy namesakes. “Thomas the Tank Engine” might appeal to you kids, but there’s also the theologian, Sir Thomas Aquinas, the cardinal Thomas Wolsey, the Founding Father, Thomas Jefferson. the philosopher, Thomas Hobbes, and the writer, Thomas Hardy. 
More recent namesakes for those who aren’t into history include actors Tom Hardy, Tom Cruise, and Tom Hiddleston, singers Tom Parker and Tom Fletcher, Olympic diver Tom Daley, and Thomas Sanders, of YouTube fame. 
A timeless all-rounder, Thomas comes with the intuitive nicknames, Tommy and Tom, which feel sweet for a child but not too cutesy for a grown-up. For more unexpected options, you could try the nature-inspired Moss or Scottish Tam. 
Unlikely to go out of style anytime soon, Thomas is a refined but approachable choice. If the popularity does give you pause, however, you could try the surname-inspired Thompson, or an <a href=“https://nameberry.com/list/492/100-classic-boys-names--below-the-top-1000/all”> underused classic</a> like Marius, Rufus, or Phinneas. 
Alternatively, there is a wealth of interesting variants to ponder, from Italian Tommaso and Scottish Tavish to Croatian Tomo– and for girls, there’s Thomasina, Tomine and Tamsin.

Thomas

Timeo is a Top 100 name in France but is virtually unknown in the English-speaking world.  Appearing briefly in the New Testament and related to Timon, a Shakespearean name, Timeo is a valid possibility for parents looking for an unusual name with cross-cultural cred.

Timeo

Timoteo put some bounce in the step of the somewhat wispy Timothy. And it can be a more original way than Mateo to the cool short form Teo.

Italians emphasize the second syllable -- tee-MO-tay-oh -- while Spanish speakers put the emphasis on the third and say tee-mo-TAY-oh.

Timoteo

This is a classic <a href="https://nameberry.com/baby-names/506/italian-names-for-boys">Italian name for boys</a>, but despite the success of Luca and Matteo, has yet to catch on in the US. 

Vincenzo has made the charts in the US in only a couple years throughout the 20th century, but has been consistently on the charts since 2000. As Enzo becomes one of the hottest boys names in recent years, the elaborated Vincenzo may follow suit.

Vincenzo

MiaLen's list "Alternatives to Mateo" of 70 great name ideas: Alan mateo - Vincenzo!

Alternatives to Mateo

Multicultural Mateo is a variant of classic Matthew, now ranking higher than the original. Mateo makes the top 100 in countries including Spain, Switzerland, Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Canada, Mexico, The United States, Bosnia, and Herzegovina, and it is the most popular name for boys in Chile and Argentina. 