Mato
Meaningbear · Lakota
- US rank
- #8,243
- Syllables
- 2
- Peak
- #8,146 in 2016
9 babies were named Mato in the US in 2025. It has climbed 2,362 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, 2001–2025
Similar names
Popularity: U.S. Social Security Administration (babies with 5+ births per year).
Did you know?
A few things about Mato you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.
Famous Mato
Mato Neretljak
Croatian footballer (born 1979)
Choose Mato and your child shares a first name with Mato Neretljak, a Croatian footballer. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Mato, like who?” Mato Neretljak's Wikipedia article is available in 43 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.
Read about Mato Neretljak on Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)Photo: Camw, CC BY-SA 3.0 (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons
- How commonAbout 1 in every 188,679 baby boys born in the US in 2025 was named Mato, 9 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Mato would very likely be the only one.
- HistoryMato first shows up in US birth records in 2001, the first year at least 5 babies got it. That makes it a fairly new name, younger than many of today's parents.
- Best yearIts best year was 2016, when it reached #8,146.
- New on the sceneMato wasn't given to enough babies to be counted in 2000. It only took off after 2001.
- TrendMato has climbed 2,362 places in the US rankings over the last five years and now sits at #8,243. Fast risers like this often keep climbing, so expect to hear it more.
- MeaningIn Lakota, Mato means “bear”.
About the name Mato
Mato is a boy name of Native American origin meaning “bear”. It has 4 letters and 2 syllables, starting with M and ending in “-ato”. US birth records list Mato for boys from 2001 to 2025, in 13 of those 25 years. Its best year was 2016, when it ranked #8,146 among boy names. In 2025 it ranked #8,243, with 9 babies.
Origin:Native American names
| Decade | Babies per million | About 1 in |
|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 1.3 | 756,303 boys |
| 2010s | 1.6 | 609,756 boys |
| 2020s | 2.8 | 357,143 boys |
More Native American boy names
- Unisex name: Kai · sea
- Unisex name: Dakota · friend, ally
- Boy name: Mikah · who is like God
- Boy name: Shayan · worthy
- Unisex name: Sora · sky
- Unisex name: Takoda · friend to everyone
- Unisex name: Dakotah · friend, ally
- Unisex name: Texas · friends
Questions about the name Mato
What does the name Mato mean?
Mato means “bear” in Lakota.
What is the origin of the name Mato?
Mato has Native American roots in our records. Other Native American names include Kai, Dakota, Mikah.
Is Mato a boy or girl name?
Mato is a boy name.
How popular is the name Mato?
Mato ranked #8,243 for US boys in 2025, given to 9 babies. Its best year was 2016 (#8,146).