Rio

Rio - A very unique male name

Rio appeared on the charts for the first time in 1977 on position #2223. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Rio and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Rio? 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 Rio. The baby boy name Rio was given to 519 baby boys in 2025, ranking #542 on the national boy baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 2,825 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Rio peaked in popularity 2 years ago in 2024 on position 518.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Rio, 1-5?

Rio is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Rio is currently topping the baby name charts in District of Columbia at position #163 - and is the least popular in Michigan at position #980.

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 Rio is where you live.

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Rio origin and meaning

Spanish / Portuguese (word and place name)

'River' — Spanish and Portuguese rio; as a name it also evokes Rio de Janeiro, 'River of January'

Rio is the Spanish and Portuguese word for river and the short name of Brazil's great city. US use for boys dates from the 1970s and has climbed with other short nature and place names, peaking in 2024.

Attested etymology

Rio is a 3 letter name with 1 syllables.

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

Similar to Rio

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

Roy / Ray / Rory / Rey / Ryu / Rui / Ryo / Rye / Rei / Rai /

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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 Rio

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 Rio 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 Rio?

1 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

REE-oh · /ˈriːoʊ/

Around the world

No traditional forms in other languages — this name was created in America in our own time.

Famous bearers

• Rio Ferdinand — English footballer, former Manchester United and England defender (b. 1978) Contemporary

Style

InternationalPlace nameWord name

Why parents choose it

Breezy, musical and two syllables long — a name with sunshine and movement in it.

Worth knowing

• Duran Duran's 'Rio' is about a woman ('Her name is Rio'), a reference older relatives may raise.