Mete: meaning, origin & popularity

Meaning & origin

Where it comes from

Mete comes from Chinese.

How it developed

From Chinese 冒頓.

The story

Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 2000. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.

From dated birth records

Mete through the years

Babies since 1880: 155; 155 boys · 0 girls
Most popular year: 2012; 14 babies
2025: 14; #6,334 for boys
2021–25 vs 2016–20: +32%; Rising

Mete in U.S. Social Security birth records, 2000–2025, per million boys born. Years with fewer than five births for a sex are not published and appear as zero. Use the arrow keys to step through years.

Where it’s given

Most at home inFlorida

FewerMore, relative to births Not published

2025 births by state of birth. Tiles are equal-sized so small states stay visible. Highest rates: Florida (6).

By the numbers

In 2025, this name appeared in 14 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 6,334 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 31.6% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. In 2025, Florida had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (6). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 233 as a first name in 2020; 249 as a surname in 2020.

From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.

Mete’s family of names

In Turkish usage, Mete has a conventional equivalent in the German form Ma-To. In Turkish usage, Mete has a conventional equivalent in the German form Mao-dun. In Turkish usage, Mete has a conventional equivalent in the Hungarian form Mao-tun.

Walk Mete’s family in the name graph

Inner ring: spellings · outer: across languages.

Hover or tab through the constellation to see how each name is related. Bigger dots are names more people in the U.S. share.

Around the world

Mete has relatives in 6 languages. Lines run from its Chinese roots to each of them.

9 related names in 6 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.

Each dot marks where a language is rooted, not where people with the name live today. Bigger dots hold more names. Language locations from Glottolog (CC BY 4.0); map from Natural Earth.

Spellings & scripts 3

The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.

Across languages 7

Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.

People named Mete

Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.

Similar names

If you love Mete, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.

Chinese · Modern

Sibling ideas

Names that share Mete’s feel without repeating its first letter or rhyming with it.

A brother for Mete

A sister for Mete

Your shortlist

Mete