Alternatives to Mateo

Luca

Italian variation of Luke and Lucas

"man from Lucania"

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…

Santiago

Place-name or Latin

"Saint James"

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…

Matthew

Hebrew

"gift of God"

Matthew was the third most popular boys' name in America throughout the 1980s and '90s, and is still one of the top boy names starting with M . The New Testament Matthew is the epitome of the…

Thomas

Aramaic

"twin"

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,…

Enzo

Italian variation of Heinz or Henry, German, or diminutive form of -enzo names, "estate ruler"

"estate ruler"

Internationally popular, Enzo is a confident and captivating name, playful but down to earth. Similar in sound or style to the likes of Leo, Luca, Eli, and Ezra, and in tune with Mateo, Gabriel, and…

Leonardo

Italian and Spanish variation of Leonard, German

"brave lion"

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…

Lorenzo

Italian; Spanish, variation of Laurence

"from Laurentium"

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…

Matteo

Italian

"gift of God"

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…

Emilio

Spanish and Italian variation of Emil

"rival"

Dashing and suave, with a hint of poetry and gentleness, Emilio is an appealing and international choice. A solid favorite in Italy, it is also on the rise in the US, France, Austria, and the UK.…

Diego

Spanish variation of James

"supplanter"

The energetic Diego is rising rapidly along with a lot of other authentically Spanish baby names that work perfectly well with surnames of any origin. Possibly a derivative of Santiago, Diego is a…

Matias

Spanish variation of Matthias

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.

Nico

Italian diminutive of Nicholas, Greek

"people of victory"

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,…

Antonio

Spanish and Italian variation of Anthony

"from Antium"

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…

Rafael

Spanish; German; Croatian; Portuguese, variation of Raphael, Hebrew

"God has healed"

Energetic, sunny, and slightly romantic, Rafael is a popular choice in Germany, Spain, Portugal, and Croatia. Used internationally, Rafael is a Spanish variation of Raphael, that lends itself easily…

Romeo

Italian

"pilgrim to Rome, Roman"

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…

Francisco

Spanish, Portuguese

"free man"

Francisco is one of the more popular Spanish names for boys in the US, which is unsurprising given its popularity back in Spain and Portugal as well as Latin America, coupled with its classic status.…

Niko

Finnish form and Croatian and Slovene short form of Nicholas, Greek

"victory of the people"

Popular in Croatia, Spain, New Zealand, and Slovenia, Niko has also been rising up the US popularity charts for boys since the late 2000s. Fresher than Nicholas, spikier than Nico, it currently ranks…

Santino

Italian

"little saint"

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.

Marco

Italian and Spanish form of Mark

"warlike"

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…

Matthias

Aramaic variation of Matthew

"gift of God"

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…