Total births
151,310
Boys' name · since 1897
Mario
Since 1897, U.S. Social Security records show 151,310 babies named Mario, peaking in 1980. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #398
- among boys today
- 151,310
- born since 1897
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 97%
- more common than other boys
151,310 babies have been named Mario since 1897, making it today's #398 boys' name.
Social Security Administration records show Mario recorded 151,310 times among boys since 1897, holding rank #398 nationally today, ahead of 97% of boys, peaking in the 1980s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1897 to 2025.
- #398 among boys today
- 151,310 born since 1897
- 1980s peak decade
- 97% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Mario is currently the #398 boys' name in America, more common than 97% of boys - 151,310 born since 1897, peaking in the 1980s.
- #398
- among boys today
- 151,310
- born since 1897
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 97%
- more common than other boys
Mario vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#398
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 97% of names given to boys today.
1980s
Peak decade
17% of everyone ever named Mario was born in this single decade.
1980
Single peak year
2,936 babies were named Mario in 1980 - its busiest year on record.
How Mario compares
151,310 Top 2% higher than 98% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Mario's all-time total is 412x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Mario | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 151,310 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 2,936 | 23 | 22,252 |
Mario's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Mario's full recorded timeline at 1962, 82% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 18% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1900, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1980 peak of 2,936 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Mario at a glance
Top 1,000 boys' namePeak year
1980
Current rank
#398
Active since
1897
Mario popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1897–2025
- Peak year (1980)
- 2,936
- Annual births at peak, across 129 years of records
Mario popularity over time - girls
1,093 total births recorded since 1917 (Mario as girls' name)
Mario by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1980s was Mario's strongest decade.
26,396 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 17% of all-time use.
Mario births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1890s 7
1890s
7 births
- 1900s 144
1900s
144 births
- 1910s 2,506
1910s
2,506 births
- 1920s 4,779
1920s
4,779 births
- 1930s 3,214
1930s
3,214 births
- 1940s 3,994
1940s
3,994 births
- 1950s 10,479
1950s
10,479 births
- 1960s
1960s
13,491 births
- 1970s
1970s
20,949 births
- 1980s
1980s
26,396 births
- 1990s
1990s
24,573 births
- 2000s
2000s
22,430 births
- 2010s
2010s
13,188 births
- 2020s 5,160
2020s
5,160 births
What this shows Peak: 1980s at 26,396 births (17% of all-time use).
How Mario compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Mario's total volume
Mario vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Mario by state
Where Mario concentrates geographically, total births since 1897
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 38,107 | 25.2% |
| #2 | Texas | | 29,581 | 19.5% |
| #3 | New York | | 12,278 | 8.1% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 8,419 | 5.6% |
| #5 | Florida | | 5,776 | 3.8% |
| #6 | Arizona | | 5,012 | 3.3% |
| #7 | New Jersey | | 3,967 | 2.6% |
| #8 | Pennsylvania | | 3,883 | 2.6% |
California share of Mario's total US births 25.2%
Even split
38,107 of 151,310 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 47 reporting states.
Mario appears in 47 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Mario? ▼
Since 1897, Social Security records show 151,310 babies named Mario. Today it holds rank #398 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 1980, with 2,936 births.
When was Mario most popular? ▼
Mario was most popular in the 1980s decade with 26,396 total births. The single peak year was 1980.
Where is Mario most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Mario are California (38,107 births), Texas (29,581 births), New York (12,278 births).
How long has the name Mario been used? ▼
Mario has been recorded in Social Security data since 1897, spanning 129 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Mario? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Mark, Martin, Marvin, Marcus, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Mario's data
- Mario's decade-level peak was the 1980s (26,396 total births); usage has since declined to 5,160 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Marios (38,107 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Mario
Nearby Names Like Mario
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Mario
Mark Boy
#244 1,362,176 births
Martin Boy
#307 315,561 births
Marvin Boy
#671 254,192 births
Marcus Boy
#256 241,657 births
Marc Boy
#1194 140,604 births
Compare Mario side by side: Mario vs Mark Mario vs Martin Mario vs Marvin
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Mario
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1897–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Mario: #398 Boys' Name - 151,310 Births, Peak 1980." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/mario. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Mario draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.