Mario
Boy name · #438 in 2025 · Distinctive
How old is the name Mario? In official American birth records, Mario has been tracked continuously since 1897, giving it 128 years of documented American history.
Mario is currently the #438 boy name in the United States — 721 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #285, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 2,497 boys born in 2025 was named Mario.
Babies named Mario per year. Source: Official national birth records.
The 128-year story
Mario first appears in the Social Security records in 1897, when 7 boys received the name. Its peak came in 1980, when 2,936 boys were named Mario — good for #102 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Mario against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Mario in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Mario is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "distinctive". That middle band is the sweet spot many parents hunt for: recognizable without being everywhere.
Where Mario is most common
Geography matters for names, and Mario is no exception. Adjusted for how many boys are born in each state, Mario is most common in NV (1.2 per 1,000), TX (0.9 per 1,000), AZ (0.9 per 1,000), CA (0.8 per 1,000), KS (0.7 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.5 per 1,000 boys. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Mario is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Mario
Statistically, parents drawn to Mario tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Julio, Sergio, Marcus, Jaime, and Erik.
JulioSergioMarcusJaimeErikPedroBryanMarco
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Mario | 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 | #326 |
| 2017 | 1,139 | #307 |
| 2016 | 1,156 | #307 |
| 2015 | 1,294 | #285 |
| 2014 | 1,368 | #268 |
| 2013 | 1,428 | #255 |
| 2012 | 1,445 | #254 |
| 2011 | 1,598 | #224 |
| 2010 | 1,708 | #208 |
| 2009 | 1,938 | #198 |
| 2008 | 2,167 | #184 |
| 2007 | 2,291 | #180 |
| 2006 | 2,295 | #178 |
| 2005 | 2,304 | #179 |
| 2004 | 2,262 | #178 |
| 2003 | 2,358 | #168 |
| 2002 | 2,265 | #170 |
| 2001 | 2,217 | #170 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Mario?
In official American birth records, the name Mario first appeared in 1897 (over 128 years ago), when 7 newborn boys received the name. It has over a century of continuous American history.
Is Mario a popular boy name?
Mario ranked #438 among boys in 2025 with 721 babies given the name — inside the top 500: established but not ubiquitous. Ten years earlier it ranked #285.
When was the name Mario most popular?
Mario peaked in 1980, when 2,936 American boys received the name (ranked #102 that year). Since 1980 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Mario?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 2,497 newborn American boys was named Mario. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "distinctive".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.