boy's name
Elio
EH-lee-oh
- Origin Italian
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 3
- Letters 4
- Popularity Top 1000 (France)
- Births on record 26,794
the United States
#388
2025 births
Elio is a boy's name of Italian origin meaning "sun," from the Greek helios. It ranks seventeenth in France as Élio and is rising simultaneously in the United States and England, which is unusual for a name of Latin-European origin.
- Elio is a name of Italian origin.
- Peaked in France in 2025, when 2,565 babies were given the name.
- It has been rising over the past decade in France.
- Today about 1 in 294 babies in France is given this name.
- First appears in birth records in 1903.
- 3 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Elio over time
Births per decade in France, 1900s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1900s | 20 |
| 1910s | 15 |
| 1920s | 150 |
| 1930s | 175 |
| 1940s | 85 |
| 1950s | 145 |
| 1960s | 110 |
| 1970s | 65 |
| 1980s | 75 |
| 1990s | 205 |
| 2000s | 1,700 |
| 2010s | 5,605 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 11,600 |
What Elio means
Elio means the sun, or sunlight. It comes from the Greek helios, the sun and the sun god, and it is the Italian form of the Roman name Aelius, which reference works also connect to the same root.
Where Elio comes from
Elio is the Italian descendant of the Roman family name Aelius, borne by the emperor Hadrian, whose full name was Publius Aelius Hadrianus. The Aelii were an old plebeian gens, and their name has long been linked to the Greek helios, the sun, though that connection is traditional rather than certain. The name is common in Italy and Spanish-speaking countries and entered French use recently. Its international rise owes a great deal to Andre Aciman's novel Call Me by Your Name and the 2017 film made from it, whose central character is an Elio, and the timing of its climb in the English-speaking data fits that closely.
Elio in use
Elio is one of the few names in our French top twenty that is rising everywhere at once: seventeenth in France as Élio, 388 in the United States, 309 in England and Wales, 375 in Scotland and 398 in Ireland. Its peak in our American series is the most recent year we hold. That simultaneity is rare, and it usually indicates a shared cultural cause rather than parallel local fashions.
How popular is Elio?
In 2025, Elio was given to 2,005 babies in France, ranking #17 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Where Elio is used
French counts are rounded to the nearest five and nothing below five is published, so these figures show the shape of the name's use rather than an exact tally. Data & sources.
How Elio is spelled
Birth registers count each spelling separately, so every one has its own ranking.
| Spelling | What it is | Births on record |
|---|---|---|
| Élio | Élio is Elio written with an acute accent, used in France, where it ranks #108. | 3,775 |
| Elïo | Elïo is a rare spelling of Elio, written with a diaeresis and recorded about 55 times, mostly in France. | 55 |
| Élïo | Élïo is a rare spelling of Elio, written with an acute accent and recorded about 5 times, mostly in France. | 5 |
| Èlio | Èlio is a rare spelling of Elio, written with a grave accent and recorded about 5 times, mostly in France. | 5 |
Names that peaked alongside Elio
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Elio also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Elio over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Elio in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Elio
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Elio — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Elio
What does the name Elio mean?
Elio means "sun," from the Greek helios. It is the Italian form of the Roman Aelius.
Is Elio an Italian name?
Yes, though it is now used widely in France and Spanish-speaking countries too.
Why is Elio suddenly popular?
Its rise across several countries at once tracks Call Me by Your Name, whose central character is an Elio.
How do you pronounce Elio?
EH-lee-oh, three syllables, stress on the first.
Is Elio a girl's or a boy's name?
Elio is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Elio?
Elio has 3 syllables.
Is Elio a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Elio currently ranks #17 in France. It has been rising over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.