Matei
How to say it: mah-TAY · /mɑˈteɪ/
Romanian form of Matthew from Hebrew meaning 'gift of God' - common in Romania and Moldova.
Matei was the 5,714th most popular boys’ name in the United States in 2025, given to 13 babies (Social Security Administration). The 2020s are its busiest decade so far, its births are up about 12% in ten years, and it is projected to slip to #5,833 by 2030.
Updated · SSA 2025 data, published May 2026 · Insee 2025 data, published July 2026 · How we compute these figures
Key facts
| Rank among boys’ names, 2025 | #5,714 |
|---|---|
| Babies born in 2025 | 13 |
| Share of births | 1 in 255,026 |
| Peak decade | 2020s |
| Change over 10 years | +12% |
| Projected rank for 2030 (estimate) | #5,833 |
| In France, 2025 | #598 among boys’ names, 60 births |
Sources: Social Security Administration (SSA), Insee (France). How we compute these figures.
Its life, decade by decade
Matei is a newcomer: almost all of its history is from the last forty years.
What goes with it
In the classroom
In a class of 25 children born in 2025, the chance that another child is called Matei is about under 1 in 200.
Around the world
This spelling is used in English, French, Hebrew.
In France: #598 for boys in 2025.
England and Wales: #382. Ireland: #269.
Famous people named Matei
- Matei Vișniec (born 1956)Romanian French writer
- Matei Basarab (1580–1654)Voivode of Wallachia
- Matei Millo (1814–1896)Romanian playwright and actor
From Wikidata and Wikipedia
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