unisex name · in the US
Rio
REE-oh (English)
- Origin Spanish
- Gender Unisex (US)
- Syllables 2
- Letters 3
- Popularity Top 1000 (E&W)
- Births on record 17,682
England and Wales
#166
2025 births
Rio is a name of Spanish and Portuguese origin meaning "river." It is the ordinary word rather than a traditional given name, and its British use owes more to a Duran Duran single than to either language.
- Rio is a name of Spanish origin.
- Peaked in US records in 2024, when 704 babies were given the name.
- It has been rising over the past decade in US records.
- Today about 1 in 1,607 babies in England and Wales is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1920.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Rio Over Time
Births per decade in the United States, 1920s to 2020s. Rio is more popular in England and Wales — see the country table below. The striped bar is the 2020s, which so far covers 2020 to 2025.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1920s | 10 |
| 1930s | 13 |
| 1940s | 0 |
| 1950s | 10 |
| 1960s | 16 |
| 1970s | 97 |
| 1980s | 312 |
| 1990s | 831 |
| 2000s | 1,123 |
| 2010s | 1,836 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 3,564 |
What Rio Means
Rio means river. It is a plain noun in Spanish and Portuguese rather than a traditional given name, from the Latin rivus, and it carries no meaning beyond the thing itself.
Where Rio Comes From
Rio is the Spanish río and Portuguese rio, river, from the Latin rivus — the root of rival, which originally meant someone using the same stream. Rio de Janeiro was named in January 1502 by Portuguese navigators who mistook Guanabara Bay for a river mouth, so the city is called January River after a river that does not exist. In Britain the name's use follows Duran Duran's 1982 single Rio and its video, and birth records show British use climbing from that point rather than from any Hispanic community.
Rio in Use
Birth records record Rio for both sexes and shows it peaking in 2024 and still rising, at 166 in England and Wales. It first appears in birth records in 1920. The footballer Rio Ferdinand, born 1978 and named after the city, kept it visible in Britain through the 2000s.
How Popular Is Rio?
In 2025, Rio was given to 328 babies in England and Wales, ranking #166 that year. It is well established in England and Wales.
Where Rio Is Used
England and Wales figures withhold any name given to fewer than three babies in a year. The historical chart above uses US records, the only series running back to 1880. Data & sources.
Names That Peaked Alongside Rio
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents Who Like Rio Also Like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Rio over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Boys' or Girls' Name?
Rio is used differently depending on where you are. Each figure is the share of babies given the name who were girls, over the last ten years of that country's records.
- United States Both 21% girls · 4,496 babies
- England & Wales Boys' 7% girls · 2,866 babies
- Canada Both 21% girls · 471 babies
- Scotland Boys' 4% girls · 303 babies
- France Boys' 8% girls · 265 babies
- Ireland Boys' 3% girls · 128 babies
- Northern Ireland Boys' 0% girls · 96 babies
How to Say Rio
- English REE-oh /ˈriːəʊ/
Rio 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.
- Japanese
- Rio
Sibling Names for Rio
Names from the same era that do not rhyme or share an initial with Rio — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common Questions About Rio
What does the name Rio mean?
Rio means "river" in Spanish and Portuguese, from the Latin rivus.
Why is Rio de Janeiro called that?
Portuguese navigators named it January River in 1502, mistaking Guanabara Bay for a river mouth. There is no river.
Is Rio a boy's or a girl's name?
Both. It is recorded as unisex in England and Wales.
How popular is the name Rio?
In 2025, Rio was given to 328 babies in England and Wales, ranking #166 that year. It is well established in England and Wales.
How many syllables are in Rio?
Rio has 2 syllables.
When was Rio most popular?
Rio peaked in 2024, when 704 babies were given the name. It has been rising over the past decade.
Is Rio a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Rio currently ranks #110 in the United States. It has been rising over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.