Mario
Meaning
of Mars, warlike; a common Portuguese-facing first name for Nikkei-Brazilian sons, often paired with a Japanese middle name
Famously borne by Mario Andretti.
The story
Mario is the Italian descendant of the Roman family name Marius, traditionally tied to Mars, the god of war, which means the friendliest-sounding name on the playground carries a warrior's pedigree. It is also one of the great travelers: Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese speakers all claim it, and in Brazil it became a favorite first name for the sons of Japanese-Brazilian families, often paired with a Japanese middle name. Waves of Italian immigration wrote it into the American records early, and it has stayed on the books in every decade since, a fixture of the whole century without ever crowding the top of the lists. Then, of course, a cheerful mustachioed plumber made Mario arguably the most recognized first name in video game history, familiar to children on every continent since the 1980s. However you first meet it, Mario lands warm, round, and complete: a war god softened by centuries of use.
Popularity, 1890–2024
Shape drawn from US Social Security baby-name records. Mario peaked in the 2000s.
Popularity in Brazil
225,399 people · the #141 first name in Brazil · about 1 in 901 · median age 53
Among people named Mario living in Brazil at the 2022 census, more were born in the 1960s than in any other decade.
The census also counted 2,109 born between 2020 and August 2022, too recent a span to chart.
Source: IBGE, Censo Demográfico 2022
When you meet Mario
People given the name Mario in the United States span the generations: the middle half were born anywhere from 1970 to 2009. Age is the one thing the name won't tell you.
Estimated from US Social Security birth registrations and typical lifespans; a rough guide, not a rule.
The Mario deep dive
Whether you’re naming a baby or exploring your own name’s history, this is a personal letter, not a list: where Mario truly comes from, how it traveled, and what a century of records reveals. If you have grown a tree on nametree, it also considers how Mario fits with your family’s names and surname.
Where Mario travels
Japanese Brazilian · A documented choice in Japanese Brazilian families.
Keep exploring
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