Total births
5,530
Unisex name · since 1920
Rio
5,530 babies named Rio in U.S. Social Security records since 1920, with the highest year being 2024. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #517
- among boys today
- 5,530
- born since 1920
- 2020s
- peak decade
- 96%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Rio is the #517 most popular unisex name in the U.S. today, with 5,530 recorded since 1920.
Social Security Administration records show Rio recorded 5,530 times among boys since 1920, holding rank #517 nationally today, ahead of 96% of boys, peaking in the 2020s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1920 to 2025.
- #517 among boys today
- 5,530 born since 1920
- 2020s peak decade
- 96% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Rio is currently the #517 unisex name in America, more common than 96% of boys - 5,530 born since 1920, peaking in the 2020s.
- #517
- among boys today
- 5,530
- born since 1920
- 2020s
- peak decade
- 96%
- more common than other boys
Rio vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#517
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 96% of names given to boys today.
2020s
Peak decade
53% of everyone ever named Rio was born in this single decade.
2024
Single peak year
593 babies were named Rio in 2024 - its busiest year on record.
How Rio compares
5,530 Top 11% higher than 89% 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
Rio's all-time total is 15x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Rio | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 5,530 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 593 | 23 | 22,252 |
Rio's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Rio's SSA record in two at 1994 and the more recent half accounts for 91% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 9%, consistent with a name still gaining ground rather than fading. Its calmest year was 1920, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 2024 peak of 593, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Rio at a glance
Top 1,000 boys' namePeak year
2024
Current rank
#517
Active since
1920
Rio popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1920–2025
- Peak year (2024)
- 593
- Annual births at peak, across 106 years of records
Rio popularity over time - girls
2,282 total births recorded since 1930 (Rio as girls' name)
Rio by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2020s was Rio's strongest decade.
2,908 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 53% of all-time use.
Rio births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1920s 10
1920s
10 births
- 1930s 5
1930s
5 births
- 1950s 10
1950s
10 births
- 1960s 16
1960s
16 births
- 1970s 97
1970s
97 births
- 1980s 191
1980s
191 births
- 1990s 411
1990s
411 births
- 2000s 636
2000s
636 births
- 2010s
2010s
1,246 births
- 2020s
2020s
2,908 births
What this shows Peak: 2020s at 2,908 births (53% of all-time use).
How Rio 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 Rio's total volume
Rio vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Rio by state
Where Rio concentrates geographically, total births since 1920
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 1,263 | 22.8% |
| #2 | Texas | | 341 | 6.2% |
| #3 | New York | | 319 | 5.8% |
| #4 | Florida | | 304 | 5.5% |
| #5 | Illinois | | 141 | 2.5% |
| #6 | Washington | | 139 | 2.5% |
| #7 | Colorado | | 111 | 2.0% |
| #8 | Arizona | | 109 | 2.0% |
California share of Rio's total US births 22.8%
Even split
1,263 of 5,530 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 38 reporting states.
Rio appears in 38 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Rio? ▼
Since 1920, Social Security records show 5,530 babies named Rio. Today it holds rank #517 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 2024, with 593 births.
When was Rio most popular? ▼
Rio was most popular in the 2020s decade with 2,908 total births. The single peak year was 2024.
Where is Rio most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Rio are California (1,263 births), Texas (341 births), New York (319 births).
Is Rio a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Rio is used for both boys and girls. As a boy's name it has 5,530 births, and as a girl's name it has 2,282 births.
How long has the name Rio been used? ▼
Rio has been recorded in Social Security data since 1920, spanning 106 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Rio? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Rion, Riot, Riordan, Riott. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Rio's data
- California records the most Rios (1,263 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 Rio
Nearby Names Like Rio
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Rio
Rion Boy
#3357 1,506 births
Riot Boy
#1249 1,295 births
Riordan Boy
297 births
Riott Boy
#7156 166 births
Compare Rio side by side: Rio vs Rion Rio vs Riot Rio vs Riordan
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Rio
Devin #516
156,250 births · Peak 1998
Gunner #518
23,486 births · Peak 2015
Kaison #515
7,182 births · Peak 2020
Ayaan #519
8,903 births · Peak 2025
Lian #514
4,579 births · Peak 2025
Philip #520
344,036 births · Peak 1953
Johnathan #513
98,262 births · Peak 1990
Jeffrey #521
979,601 births · Peak 1962
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, 1920–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Rio: #517 Unisex Name - 5,530 Births, Peak 2024." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/rio. 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 Rio 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.