Matei
Boy name · Bulgarian · Spanish
Meaninggift of God · Romanian form of Matthew
- US rank
- #6,446
- Syllables
- 2
- Peak
- #4,951 in 2019
13 babies were named Matei in the US in 2025. It has dropped 747 places in five years.
Found on lists
Save adds it to your list. Vote moves it up the top voted names.
US births per million boys, 1996–2025
Similar names
Popularity: U.S. Social Security Administration (babies with 5+ births per year).
Did you know?
A few things about Matei you might not know, from US birth records. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.
- How commonAbout 1 in every 131,579 baby boys born in the US in 2025 was named Matei, 13 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Matei would very likely be the only one.
- HistoryMatei first shows up in US birth records in 1996, the first year at least 5 babies got it. It has been in use for 29 years since.
- Best yearIts best year was 2019, when it reached #4,951.
- Then vs nowMatei is 3.0× more common today than it was in 2000. In 2000 it was given to about 1 in 400,000 baby boys; in 2025, about 1 in 131,579.
- TrendMatei has slipped 747 places over the last five years and now sits at #6,446. Good news if you want a familiar name that fewer kids will share.
- MeaningMatei is a Romanian form of Matthew, which means “gift of God”. Our records link it to Bulgarian and Spanish roots.
- OriginMatei is the #3 most popular Bulgarian boy name in the US. That's out of 16 Bulgarian boy and unisex names in our list.
About the name Matei
Matei is a boy name of Bulgarian and Spanish origin meaning “gift of God”. It has 5 letters and 2 syllables, starting with M and ending in “-tei”. US birth records list Matei for boys from 1996 to 2025, in 27 of those 30 years. Its best year was 2019, when it ranked #4,951 among boy names. In 2025 it ranked #6,446, with 13 babies.
Origin:Bulgarian namesSpanish names
| Decade | Babies per million | About 1 in |
|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 0.8 | 1,250,000 boys |
| 2000s | 4.1 | 243,902 boys |
| 2010s | 6.4 | 156,495 boys |
| 2020s | 7.0 | 142,180 boys |
More Bulgarian boy names
- Unisex name: Zahari · God remembers
- Unisex name: Iliya · my God is Yahweh
- Unisex name: Navid · good news
- Boy name: Damyan · to tame
- Boy name: Ioan · God is gracious
- Boy name: Gedeon · feller, hewer
- Unisex name: Matai
- Boy name: Dejan
Questions about the name Matei
What does the name Matei mean?
Matei means “gift of God” in Romanian, as a form of Matthew.
What is the origin of the name Matei?
Matei has Bulgarian, Spanish roots in our records. Other Bulgarian names include Zahari, Iliya, Navid.
Is Matei a boy or girl name?
Matei is a boy name.
How popular is the name Matei?
Matei ranked #6,446 for US boys in 2025, given to 13 babies. Its best year was 2019 (#4,951).