Mario
2025 SSA
Below 5 births
About Mario
Many may associate Mario with the popular platform game - unsurprising when it's the 5th best-selling video game worldwide, and was voted the 2nd best game ever by IGN in 2024. The titular plumber was apparently named after American businessman, Mario Segale, who rented a warehouse to Nintendo, and this in itself reflects that Mario is much more established than just a name for a video game character.
Mario is one of the many surprising names for boys that has always ranked among the US Top 1000, in the top half of the list for more than a hundred years. While it may now be in decline, it is still given to around 800 boys each year, and its similarity to popular Mateo stops it from feeling too dated.
Derived from the Roman name Marius, Mario can have a number of different meanings. On one hand, it might be considered a mythological name, thanks to its origins in Mars, the name of the Roman god of war and of the so-called red planet. Alternatively, it could come from the Latin roots mas or maris meaning "male", or from the Latin word mare meaning "sea".
Popular in Spain, Portugal, and Italy, Mario has a number of notable namesakes. These include singer and actor Mario Lanza, racing car driver Mario Andretti, and author of The Godfather Mario Puzo.
Mario is also given to girls.
Pronounced MAR-ee-oh.
As of October 2026, Mario ranked #438 in US births in 2025 SSA, peaked at #102 in 1980, Nameberry popularity #874.
Popularity & trends
Data table
| Year | US rank · boys | Births · boys | US rank · girls | Births · girls |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | #269 | 1,368 | — | 0 |
| 2015 | #286 | 1,293 | — | 0 |
| 2016 | #307 | 1,156 | — | 0 |
| 2017 | #307 | 1,138 | — | 0 |
| 2018 | #327 | 1,021 | — | 0 |
| 2019 | #323 | 1,030 | — | 0 |
| 2020 | #329 | 998 | — | 0 |
| 2021 | #348 | 937 | — | 0 |
| 2022 | #365 | 901 | — | 0 |
| 2023 | #406 | 788 | — | 0 |
| 2024 | #398 | 808 | — | 0 |
| 2025 | #438 | 721 | — | 0 |
World rankings
Similar names
These 20 names were selected by our users looking for other names like Mario.
Mario on lists
Famous Marios
- Mario Matthew CuomoBoy
American politician; 52nd Governor of New York
- Mario Michael Lopez Jr.Boy
American actor
- Mario Gabriele AndrettiBoy
Italian,born American race car driver
- Mario Francesco BataliBoy
American TV chef
- Mario Cashmere ManninghamBoy
American football player
- Mario Antoine ButlerBoy
American football player
- Mario Mendell WinansBoy
American R&B singer
- Mario (Dewar Barrett)Boy
American R&B Singer
- Mario Van PeeblesBoy
American actor and director
- Mario Armando Lavandeira Jr. aka Perez HiltonBoy
American gossip blogger
- Mario Marcell HagganBoy
American football player
- Mario Jerrel WilliamsBoy
American football player
- Mario AddisonBoy
American football player
- Mario FanninBoy
American football player
- Mario HendersonBoy
American football player
- (Joseph Roger) Mario LemieuxBoy
Canadian ice hockey player
- Mario Vargas LlosaBoy
Peruvian writer
- Mario BalotelliBoy
Italian footballer
- Mario GotzeBoy
German footballer
- Mario Gomez GarciaBoy
German footballer
- Mario DrmacBoy
Croatian actor
- Mario MaurerBoy
Thai model and actor
- Mario CuomoBoy
son of journalist Chris Cuomo, grandson of Mario Cuomo
- Mario Armando Lavandeira III (b. 2013)Boy
son of blogger Perez Hilton
- Mario MandžukićBoy
Croatian professional footballer
- Joao Mario (Naval da Costa Eduardo)Boy
Portuguese professional footballer
- Max Mario Fletcher (b. 2018)Boy
son of singer Tom Fletcher & author Giovanna Fletcher.
- Mario CasasBoy
Spanish actor.
Mario in pop culture
- MarioBoy
character in the Super Mario Bros. video game series
- Mario AuditoreBoy
character in the Assassin's Creed video game series