Boy · #9,549 in 2026

Mate

Mate is a Croatian given name, Matej is a variant of Matthew. Notable people with the name include:Mate Balota (1898–1963), Croatian poet, novelist and economist Mate Baturina, Croatian football striker Mate Bilić, Croatian football striker Mate Boban (1940−1997), Croatian politician Mate Božić, Croatian historian, writer and author Mate Brajković, Croatian football striker Mate Bulić, Croatian…

Current Rank
#9,549
Peak Rank
#8,814 (2016)
Total Babies
75
5-Yr Trend
Stable
1978
First Year
2020
Last Year
2016
Peak Year
#8814
Peak Rank
75
Total Count
12
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Mate

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Mate is a Croatian given name, Matej is a variant of Matthew. Notable people with the name include:Mate Balota (1898–1963), Croatian poet, novelist and economist Mate Baturina, Croatian football striker Mate Bilić, Croatian football striker Mate Boban (1940−1997), Croatian politician Mate Božić, Croatian historian, writer and author Mate Brajković, Croatian football striker Mate Bulić, Croatian…

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

The Story of Mate

Mate first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1978, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2016, when 8 Mates were born — ranking #8,814 that year. As of 2026, Mate ranks #9,549 for baby boys with 7 births, with steady use. In total, more than 75 Mates have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1970s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
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WI
MI
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VT
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MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
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OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
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MO
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MD
DE
DC
UT
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AR
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Top 10
11-50
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500+
No data

Names that sound like Mate

Phonetically similar names — useful when Mate is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Mate

What does the name Mate mean?
Mate is a Croatian given name, Matej is a variant of Matthew. Notable people with the name include:Mate Balota (1898–1963), Croatian poet, novelist and economist Mate Baturina, Croatian football striker Mate Bilić, Croatian football striker Mate Boban (1940−1997), Croatian politician Mate Božić, Croatian historian, writer and author Mate Brajković, Croatian football striker Mate Bulić, Croatian…
How popular is Mate in 2026?
In 2026, Mate ranks #9,549 among boys' names in the U.S., with 7 babies given the name that year.
When was Mate most popular?
Mate reached its peak popularity in 2016, ranking #8,814 that year with 8 babies given the name.
Is Mate a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Mate is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.
What names go well with Mate?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Mate include Hannon, Abell, Aristotelis. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

Similar Names

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Hannon
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Abell
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Aristotelis
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Jadd
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Xuan
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Ko
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Gin
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Staten
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About the name Mate

Mate is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1978 and has accumulated 75 births in the dataset. Mate's peak popularity came in 2016 when it ranked #8,814. Use the chart and map above to compare Mate's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

  • Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
  • Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
  • Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
  • Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
  • Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.