Etymology & Historical Origin of the Baby Name Mario

The name Mario is the Italian, Spanish and Portuguese version of the old Latin name Marius. The name is likely connected with Mars, the god of war in Roman mythology. It may also be connected to the Latin “mas, marem” meaning ‘male, virile.’ Occasionally, Mario is taken for the equivalent of Maria therefore associating it with the cult of the Virgin Mary (very popular in the Latin and Hispanic populations). In this instance, Mario would be derived from the Latin “maris” which means ‘sea.’ The name Mario is not as wide spread among English-speaking countries unless the parent has Italian or Spanish/Portuguese ancestry. It is interesting to note that Mario was the 12th most popular boy’s name in Spain in 2009. It was not ranked as high in Italy or Portugal.

All About the Baby Name – Mario

Personality

OF THE BOY NAME MARIO

The number 11 is a Master Number, and embodies heightened traits of the Two. This personality is on a life journey to find spiritual truth. They are extremely idealistic and intuitive. Elevens have a rare and exceptional spiritual energy that brings a sense of obligation to illuminate the world around them. It's a very powerful responsibility, but these people have far more potential than they know. It's important that they surrender to higher ideals. They have the capacity to see the bigger picture, and they possess the skills to inspire others spiritually. Elevens have strong diplomatic skills and can become great peacemakers. Master numbers can be both a blessing and a curse, as they walk the fine line between greatness and the potential for self-destruction.

Popularity

OF THE BOY NAME MARIO

The usage of the name Mario in America was first influenced by the Italian immigrants, and then later by the Hispanic/Latino population. Either way, for Americans, the name Mario has Italian written all over it (thanks in large part to Mario Puzo, the author of quintessential Italian-American novel, The Godfather). The first and largest wave of Italian Americans to the United States came between 1880 and 1920. During this period, we see Mario debut on the naming charts and grow significantly. The name reaches what appears to be a plateau for a few decades and then starts increasing in usage once again. This time, it’s the growing Latino population in the United States that pushed the name’s position up the charts in the latter half of the 20th century. The name already reached the height of its popularity in the 1980s when it came close to a spot on the Top 100 list of most commonly used boy names. Today it’s no longer a Top 200, but still a familiar, well-known name. Mario embodies the virility and masculinity of its etymology. Yet there’s also a gentleness to this name that makes it equally as appealing.

Quick Facts

ON MARIO

GENDER:

Boy

ORIGIN:

Italian

NUMBER OF SYLLABLES:

3

RANKING POPULARITY:

255

PRONUNCIATION:

MAH-ree-oh

SIMPLE MEANING:

God of war, virile, male

Characteristics

OF MARIO

Inspirational

Highly Intuitive

Spiritual Teacher

Extremely Bright

Uplifting

Truth-seeker

Cultural References to the Baby Name – Mario

Literary Characters

OF THE BABY NAME MARIO

We cannot find any significant literary characters by the name of Mario

Childrens Books

ON THE BABY NAME MARIO

We cannot find any childrens books with the first name Mario


Popular Songs

ON MARIO

Mario (Your Own Way to Paradise)
a song by Bow Wow Wow

Mario's Cafe
a song by Saint Etienne

Mario Man
a song by Super Furry Animals

Famous People

NAMED MARIO

Mario Andretti (Indy car driver)
Mario (entertainer)
Mario Batali (American chef)
Mario Botta (Swiss architect)
Mario Capecchi (Nobel Prize winner, medicine)
Mario Chalmers (basketball player)
Mario Cuomo (former governor of New York)
Mario Frangoulis (opera singer)
Mario Lanza (opera singer)
Mario Armando Lavandeira Jr. (aka Perez Hilton, celebrity gossip blogger)
Mario Lemieux (hockey player)
Mario Lopez (actor and TV host)
Mario Mendoza (baseball player)
Mario Puzo (author of The Godfather)
Mario Sammarco (opera singer)
Mario Sorrenti (photographer)
Mario Van Peebles (director/actor)

Children of Famous People

NAMED MARIO

We cannot find any children of famous people with the first name Mario

Historic Figures

WITH THE NAME MARIO

We cannot find any historically significant people with the first name Mario