Mario

Mario - A very unique male name

Mario appeared on the charts for the first time in 1910 on position #318. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Mario and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Mario? Our experts and editorial staff have gathered trends and insights for 30,000+ baby names over the last 100 years -- And on this page you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about the name Mario. The baby boy name Mario was given to 699 baby boys in 2025, ranking #437 on the national boy baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 2,098 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Mario peaked in popularity 47 years ago in 1979 on position 103.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Mario, 1-5?

Mario is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Mario is currently topping the baby name charts in Nevada at position #222 - and is the least popular in Minnesota at position #891.

Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Mario is where you live.

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Mario origin and meaning

Latin/Italian

Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese form of Marius, a Roman family name; its root is uncertain — traditionally linked to Mars, god of war, or to Latin mas, 'male'

Mario is the Marius of southern Europe and Latin America, and in the U.S. it is now inseparable from Nintendo's Mario, introduced in 1981. As a given name it peaked in 1980 and has declined to #437.

Origin uncertain

Mario is a 5 letter name with 2 syllables.

To see famous people named Mario, pop culture references for the name Mario and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.

Similar to Mario

We've found the following names that sound similar to Mario, sorted by popularity.

Murray / Monroe / Mary / Mauro / Meir / Meyer / Maria / Mayer / Murry / Mahir /

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Name statistics

Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better understanding of how popular or unique this name is.

With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually differ a lot from state to state.

Chart position per year (visualized)

Chart position per state (visualized)

Chart position per year (table view)

Chart position per state (table view)

Even more about Mario

These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.

Is Mario a common or unique name?

By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique male name.

What is the number of syllables for the name Mario?

2 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.

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Pronunciation

MAH-ree-oh · /ˈmɑrioʊ/

Around the world

• Mario (Italian) — Used as-is in Italian
• Mario (Spanish) — Used as-is in Spanish
• Mário (Portuguese) — Portuguese form, with accent
• Marius (Romanian) — Romanian form

Spellings and nicknames

• Marius — Latin form

Famous bearers

• Mario — Plumber hero of Nintendo's Mario games (Fictional, 1981) Fictional
• Mario Andretti — Racing driver, Formula One world champion in 1978 (b. 1940) Contemporary
• Mario Lemieux — NHL hockey great (b. 1965) Contemporary

Style

ClassicInternational

Why parents choose it

A warm, familiar classic across Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese heritage.

Worth knowing

• The Nintendo plumber overwhelms all other associations for children — expect mustache and mushroom jokes.