boy's name
Nino
NEE-no
- Origin Italian
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 2
- Letters 4
- Popularity Uncommon
- Births on record 27,846
France
#44
2025 births
Nino is a boy's name in France and Italy, a short form of names ending in -nino such as Giovannino and Antonino. In Georgia it is a girl's name entirely, borne by the saint who converted the country, and it ranks forty-fourth in France.
- Nino is a name of Italian origin.
- Peaked in France in 2021, when 1,840 babies were given the name.
- It has been rising over the past decade in France.
- Today about 1 in 536 babies in France is given this name.
- First appears in birth records in 1914.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Nino over time
Births per decade in France, 1910s 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 |
|---|---|
| 1910s | 5 |
| 1920s | 20 |
| 1930s | 30 |
| 1940s | 10 |
| 1950s | 70 |
| 1960s | 80 |
| 1970s | 40 |
| 1980s | 135 |
| 1990s | 580 |
| 2000s | 4,035 |
| 2010s | 10,980 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 8,890 |
What Nino means
Nino has no single meaning. As an Italian short form it carries whatever the longer name behind it means; the Georgian Nino is a separate name of uncertain origin, and reference works do not agree on a derivation for it.
Where Nino comes from
Nino in Italian is a diminutive ending that became a name, clipped from Giovannino, little Giovanni, or Antonino, and used independently across Italy and Spanish-speaking countries. The Georgian Nino is unrelated: Saint Nino, a fourth-century woman from Cappadocia, is credited with converting the kingdom of Iberia to Christianity, and hers is one of the most common women's names in Georgia. Because the two are homographs rather than the same name, Nino is a boys' name in one country and a girls' name in another with no overlap at all. French use follows the Italian line.
Nino in use
Nino ranks forty-fourth in France with about 1,105 births in 2025, and our records carry it from 1912 with a peak in 1998. Its gender split by country is the striking thing: masculine in French and Italian usage, and entirely feminine in Georgia, where it is among the commonest names. Elsewhere it is thin, at 3,679 in the United States and beyond 2,300 in England and Wales.
How popular is Nino?
In 2025, Nino was given to 1,100 babies in France, ranking #44 that year. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Where Nino 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 Nino is spelled
Birth registers count each spelling separately, so every one has its own ranking.
| Spelling | What it is | Births on record |
|---|---|---|
| Nïno | Nïno is a rare spelling of Nino, written with a diaeresis and recorded about 35 times, mostly in France. | 35 |
Names that peaked alongside Nino
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Nino also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Nino over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Nino 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 Nino
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Nino — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Nino
What does the name Nino mean?
As an Italian short form it carries the meaning of the longer name behind it, such as Giovannino. The Georgian Nino is a separate name of uncertain origin.
Is Nino a boy's or a girl's name?
Both, in different countries. It is masculine in France and Italy and entirely feminine in Georgia.
Who was Saint Nino?
A fourth-century woman credited with converting the kingdom of Iberia, in modern Georgia, to Christianity.
How popular is Nino in France?
Forty-fourth, with about 1,105 births in 2025.
How many syllables are in Nino?
Nino has 2 syllables.
Is Nino a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Nino currently ranks #44 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.