Monte
Monte was the 1473rd most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 121 babies. Its best year was 1952, when it ranked 293rd; the most babies were born in 1956 (623). Over the last ten years it has moved up 56 places. More babies were named Monte in the 1950s than in any other decade.
Meaning "mountain"; or short form of Montgomery · Spanish, Italian, English
Say it MAHN-tee /ˈmɑnti/
- Rank in 2025
- #1,473 boys, up 21 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 121boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 1956623 babies
- Total since 1880
- 23,988babies recorded
What does the name Monte mean?
Monte has two overlapping sources. As a surname it comes from Spanish, Portuguese or Italian monte, "mountain, hill", from Latin mons. As an English first name it is also a spelling of Monty, the pet form of Montgomery and Montague. Montgomery is a Norman place-name meaning "Gomeric's hill", from a Germanic personal name made of words for "man" and "ruler". In the US Monte was most common in the 1950s and 1960s, given almost only to boys.
monte (Spanish / Italian / Portuguese, “mountain, hill”)mons (Latin, “mountain”)
How sure is this? Probable. For a given bearer Monte may be the Romance word "mountain" or a pet form of Montgomery; sources do not say which is more common.
Pronunciation: Spanish and Italian: MOHN-teh.
Related names: Monty, Montgomery, Montague, Montes.
See also: Spanish names, names that mean meadow, hill or valley.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Monte', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Wiktionary, entry 'Monty', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Wiktionary, entry 'Montgomery', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Wikipedia, 'Monte (name)', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation)
Nicknames for Monte
The usual nicknames for Monte are Monty. Some parents skip the long form: for every 100 boys named Monte in the last five years, 64 were named Monty, against 38 twenty years earlier.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Boys, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monty · also for Montgomery, Lamont | Traditional | #1,543 | 432 |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are boys given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Montes go by each one.
Monte popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 828 since 1891.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,473 | 121 |
| 2020 | #1,494 | 114 |
| 2010 | #1,684 | 92 |
| 2000 | #1,443 | 86 |
| 1990 | #906 | 130 |
| 1980 | #700 | 154 |
| 1970 | #391 | 422 |
| 1960 | #363 | 469 |
| 1950 | #296 | 530 |
| 1940 | #374 | 233 |
| 1930 | #492 | 146 |
| 1920 | #1,150 | 39 |
| 1910 | #1,769 | 5 |
| 1900 | #692 | 14 |
| 1890 | #961 | 6 |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Monte, counting every spelling?
Monte is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #1,353 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #1,473 for Monte on its own. Together these spellings went to 126 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monte | 121 | #1,473 | 679 |
| Monti | 5 | #13,272 | 38 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Monte?
121 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Monte (0.03 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Monte born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 69 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Monte.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Monte?
About 16,000 people born in the US named Monte are alive today, with a median age of 59; half are between 42 and 69. That makes Monte a name most people associate with older generations.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Monte by state
How common Monte was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in California (2.6×). In 37 states fewer than five boys a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Monte: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Monte, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Monte
What does Monte mean?
Monte means “"mountain"; or short form of Montgomery” (Spanish, Italian, English origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Monte?
Monte was the 1473rd most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 121 babies. Its best year was 1952, when it ranked 293rd; the most babies were born in 1956 (623). Over the last ten years it has moved up 56 places. More babies were named Monte in the 1950s than in any other decade.
Is Monte a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Monte in the US.
Where is Monte most popular?
In 2021–2025, Monte was most common in California (0.20 per 1,000 boys), followed by Wisconsin and Michigan.