Mario
Borrowed from Italian and Spanish Mario, both of which coming from Latin Marius.
Every Mario since 1897 — 152,403 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of Mario
Mario is moderately common for boys in the United States, ranked #438 in 2025 with 721 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.
Since 1897, 152,403 American babies have been named Mario. Its peak came in 1980, when 2,974 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 1980s.
The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Mario stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
Mario year by year
Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.
| Year | Girls | Girls rank | Boys | Boys rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | — | — | 721 | #438 |
| 2024 | — | — | 810 | #398 |
| 2023 | — | — | 791 | #404 |
| 2022 | — | — | 902 | #365 |
| 2021 | — | — | 937 | #348 |
| 2020 | — | — | 999 | #329 |
| 2019 | — | — | 1,030 | #323 |
| 2018 | — | — | 1,022 | #328 |
| 2017 | — | — | 1,139 | #307 |
| 2016 | — | — | 1,156 | #307 |
| 2015 | — | — | 1,294 | #286 |
| 2014 | — | — | 1,368 | #269 |
| 2013 | — | — | 1,428 | #255 |
| 2012 | — | — | 1,445 | #254 |
| 2011 | — | — | 1,598 | #224 |
| 2010 | — | — | 1,708 | #208 |
| 2009 | — | — | 1,938 | #198 |
| 2008 | 6 | #16,746 | 2,167 | #184 |
| 2007 | — | — | 2,291 | #180 |
| 2006 | 5 | #19,019 | 2,295 | #178 |
| 2005 | — | — | 2,304 | #179 |
| 2004 | 9 | #11,294 | 2,262 | #178 |
| 2003 | 6 | #15,063 | 2,358 | #168 |
| 2002 | 6 | #14,752 | 2,265 | #170 |
| 2001 | 12 | #8,545 | 2,217 | #170 |
| 2000 | — | — | 2,333 | #167 |
| 1995 | 13 | #6,894 | 2,391 | #149 |
| 1990 | 24 | #4,185 | 2,823 | #119 |
| 1985 | 27 | #3,299 | 2,416 | #117 |
| 1980 | 38 | #2,517 | 2,936 | #102 |
| 1975 | 32 | #2,491 | 2,059 | #125 |
| 1970 | 26 | #2,747 | 1,898 | #159 |
| 1965 | 12 | #3,868 | 1,289 | #197 |
| 1960 | 10 | #4,353 | 1,326 | #211 |
| 1955 | 13 | #3,319 | 1,075 | #219 |
| 1950 | — | — | 746 | #246 |
| 1945 | 5 | #4,997 | 345 | #320 |
| 1940 | — | — | 294 | #334 |
| 1935 | — | — | 304 | #312 |
| 1930 | 6 | #4,370 | 449 | #265 |
| 1925 | 5 | #5,499 | 501 | #253 |
| 1920 | — | — | 408 | #276 |
| 1915 | — | — | 354 | #255 |
| 1910 | — | — | 47 | #379 |
| 1905 | — | — | 14 | #655 |
| 1900 | — | — | 5 | #1,432 |
| 1895 | — | — | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — | — | — |
| 1885 | — | — | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — |
Famous people named Mario
- Mario Vargas Llosa Writer · b. 1936
- Mario Puzo Writer · 1920–1999
- Mario Kempes Soccer player · b. 1954
- Mario Monti Politician · b. 1943
- Mario Botta Architect · b. 1943
Ranked by global fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Mario mean?
Borrowed from Italian and Spanish Mario, both of which coming from Latin Marius.
How popular is the name Mario in 2025?
Mario ranked #438 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 721 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
How many people are named Mario?
152,403 babies have been named Mario in the United States since 1897, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name Mario most popular?
Mario peaked in 1980, when 2,974 newborns received the name.
Is Mario a boy or girl name?
Mario is overwhelmingly a boy's name — 99% of babies with the name.
Is the name Mario rising or falling?
Mario is declining — less popular now than a decade ago.
Who are famous people named Mario?
Well-known people named Mario include Mario Vargas Llosa (writer), Mario Puzo (writer), Mario Kempes (soccer player).