Maceo
Masculine · “gift of the Lord”
Maceo is a Spanish form of Matthew, and Antonio Maceo — the Bronze Titan — is one of Cuba's founding figures.
How old is the name Maceo?
Maceo first appears in US birth records in 1898 — 127 years ago. The typical Maceo alive today was born around 1994, making them about 31 years old. About 2,500 people named Maceo are estimated to be alive in the US today.
When was the name Maceo most popular?
Maceo peaked in 1898, reaching #611 nationally. Today it ranks #2183, 1,572 places below that high. See the whole 1898 chart.
Lists built from the same records:
Where it comes from
From Mateo to Maceo
The story of Maceo
Antonio Maceo was a general of the Cuban wars of independence, wounded more than twenty times and killed in 1896; he refused the peace that ended the Ten Years' War. American families took the name partly from him and partly from jazz. It appears in the registers in current use.
Meaningscholars disagree
gift of the Lord
Generally derived from the Spanish Mateo, from Matthew and the Hebrew Mattityahu, 'gift of the Lord'. A separate route treats it as from the surname Maceo, itself possibly from a Latin root. The Matthew route is the commoner account and neither is fully settled.
How the name formed
- Mateo
- Maceo
Related forms: Maceo · Mateo · Maceo
Pronouncing Maceo
mah-SAY-oh
Three syllables, stress in the middle. Some say MAY-see-oh in English.
Nicknames for Maceo
Moderate
What the data says
146 years of official birth records
The long climb, and where it stands now
The same years in position rather than babies
- First recorded
- 1898
- Most boys named
- 201795 — the highest on record
- Peak rank
- #611reached in 1898
- Change vs 2022
- +12.1%65 in 2025, from 58
Rank is a position, a count is a headcount, and they move independently — a name can hold its rank while the number of babies behind it falls. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration.
Maceo in other languages
The same name elsewhere
- Maceo in Spanish — same name
- Mateo in Spanish — related form
- Maceo in Italian — same name
Strongest US states over the last decade: California, Texas, New York.
Maceos among us
people named Maceo are estimated to be alive in the US today
About 1 boy in 26,278 born in 2025 was named Maceo
Estimated from SSA birth records and published actuarial life tables. Method
Is it right for you
What happens to a name after it peaks
Fashion outlook
Maceo sits in the calm middle of the cycle — neither chasing a wave nor sliding off one. Middle-of-the-cycle names age slowly and predictably.
A scored estimate from 146 years of naming cycles — not a prophecy. Great names outlive statistics. How this is scored
Where Maceo is headed
Maceo should hold steady through 2030 — the curve is flat, and flat curves are the most predictable kind.
Medium confidence — fitted on official counts through 2025.
A damped-trend projection of the official birth data — a sketch of momentum, not a promise. Every name's forecast, ranked.
Maceo beside its neighbors
The names ranked closest to Maceo in 2025, in babies rather than position — the bars are to scale.
US boys given each name in 2025.
The trade-off
- A general of Cuban independence is a first-rate historical bearer.
- Mace is available as a short form with a real record.
- Three syllables of open vowels, which carries unusually well.
- The origin is not fully settled.
- The pronunciation splits between Spanish and English readings.
- The Ceo ending collides with a business abbreviation.
Nobody names a baby alone.
Put Maceo to the vote.
Add it to a family vote or a couple’s swipe deck — the other person gets one card, a simple answer and room to say why. No app, no account for them.
Only the people you invite can see your list.
Already decided on Maceo? Hide it among decoys and let them guess.
What they receive
Someone added a name to your list
Maceo
Masculine · #2183 in the U.S.
Frequently asked
- How many Maceos are there in the world?
- No country counts the world's names, so there is no worldwide figure — anyone quoting one is estimating. About 2,500 people named Maceo are estimated to be alive in the US today.
- How popular is the name Maceo in 2025?
- Maceo ranks #2183 among US boy names in 2025, with 65 babies given the name.
- How rare is the name Maceo?
- About 1 in every 26,278 US boys born in 2025 was named Maceo — 65 in all.
- Will my child share the name Maceo with classmates?
- Maceo will almost certainly be the only one in school.
Ranked beside Maceo
Names sitting at a similar level of popularity right now.
Eastyn#2183 · Carsen#2183 · Cylas#2183 · Fynn#2183 · Lyndon#2183 · Chet#2183 · Buckley#2183 · Matheus#2183
Looking for what else is popular rather than what resembles Maceo? See the current top 100.
Choosing between Maceo and another name?
See them side by side — full stats, history and a gentle verdict.
Compare side by sideIn a hurry? Just pick a winner — one tap, no sign-up, and you see how everyone else voted.
Weighing a whole shortlist? Add the rest in the builder, or settle it with a bracket.
Cast your vote
Which one would you pick?
Your gut first, the numbers after — the split shows once you pick.
US figures from the Social Security Administration. 1880–2025. Data & methodology
No advertising trackers and no data sellinghow we handle your dataindependent and founder-run, about Name Battle