Unisex name · Spanish
Rio
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: riverRio is a gender-neutral name that comes from Spanish and means "river". It is used in Spanish, Portuguese and English.
- Meaning
- River
- Origin
- Spanish
- Gender
- Unisex
- Say it
- REE-oh
Meaning and origin of Rio
As a boy's name, Rio comes from Spanish and means "river". It is used in Spanish and Portuguese.
As a gender-neutral name, Rio comes from Spanish and means "river". It is used in Spanish, Portuguese and English.
Say it REE-oh. Respellings are a guide; accents vary by region.
Its meaning puts Rio on our names that mean water or sea list.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
Rio on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Rio on 5 lists.
“Spanish for river; big Western movie energy”
From Redneck names for boys, cowboy names for boys
“River; Spanish and Portuguese word name. Say REE-oh”
From Cute boy names, cute nature names for boys
“Bright as carnival, ideal for a red-eyed tree frog”
From Funny frog names, names for pet frogs by type
“Spanish for river, smooth and flowing”
From Horse names, horse names for geldings
“River; Spanish and Portuguese”
From Ocean names, names that mean water, river or spring
How popular is Rio?
In 2025, 105 girls and 563 boys in the US were named Rio.
As a girl’s name
- US rank in 2025
- #1,877
- 105 babies, 65 per million girls
- Best rank
- #1,679 in 2021
- 124 babies that year
- Babies since 1930
- At least 2,282
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 0 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 0 per million |
| 1900s | 0 per million |
| 1910s | 0 per million |
| 1920s | 0 per million |
| 1930s | 1 per million |
| 1940s | 0 per million |
| 1950s | 0 per million |
| 1960s | 0 per million |
| 1970s | 0 per million |
| 1980s | 7 per million |
| 1990s | 23 per million |
| 2000s | 26 per million |
| 2010s | 34 per million |
| 2020s | 67 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #2,821 | #3,184 | #2,382 | #1,849 | #2,047 | #1,679 | #1,751 | #1,887 | #1,820 | #1,877 |
As a boy’s name
- US rank in 2025
- #532
- 563 babies, 330 per million boys
- Best rank
- #517 in 2024
- 593 babies that year
- Babies since 1920
- At least 5,530
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 0 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 0 per million |
| 1900s | 0 per million |
| 1910s | 0 per million |
| 1920s | 1 per million |
| 1930s | 0 per million |
| 1940s | 0 per million |
| 1950s | 0 per million |
| 1960s | 1 per million |
| 1970s | 6 per million |
| 1980s | 10 per million |
| 1990s | 21 per million |
| 2000s | 32 per million |
| 2010s | 66 per million |
| 2020s | 281 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,323 | #1,358 | #1,126 | #1,061 | #774 | #671 | #560 | #571 | #517 | #532 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Names spelled like Rio
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
- RieReason and blessing (Japanese, girl)
- RikoJasmine child (depends on characters) (Japanese, girl)
- RimWhite antelope (Arabic, girl)
- RinDignified; bell (depends on characters) (Japanese, girl)
- RyoCool, refreshing; good (depends on characters) (Japanese, boy)
- RitaA pearl (Greek, girl)
- ReidRed-haired (Old English, boy)
- RoyRed (Scottish Gaelic, boy)
- RabBright fame (Germanic, boy)
Names with a similar meaning
- SabrinaFrom Sabrina, the Latin name of the River Severn (Welsh, girl)
- DouglasDark river (Scottish Gaelic, boy)
- KelvinFrom the River Kelvin (Scottish place name, boy)
- MonroeFrom the mouth of the Roe river (Gaelic, unisex)
- ShannonFrom Ireland's longest river (Irish Gaelic, unisex)
- AltonTown at a river's source (Old English, boy)
- AyrtonSettlement on the River Aire (English, boy)
- ClodaghFrom a river in County Waterford (Irish Gaelic, girl)
- DùbhghlasDark river (Scottish Gaelic, boy)
- FordRiver crossing (Old English, boy)
Middle names for Rio
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a longer length, so the full name flows.
- AlexanderDefender of men (Greek, boy)
- AtticusFrom Attica (Greek, boy)
- AugustusGreat, venerable (Latin, boy)
- BlairPlain, field (Scottish Gaelic, unisex)
- CelesteHeavenly, of the sky (Latin, girl)
- ElijahMy God is Yahweh (Hebrew, boy)
- FelicityHappiness, good fortune (Latin, girl)
- PrestonPriest's town (Old English, boy)
More names from Spanish
- SantiagoSaint James (Spanish, boy)
- AitanaFrom a place name, a mountain range in Valencia (Spanish, girl)
- DoloresSorrows, our lady of sorrows (Spanish, girl)
- EsmeraldaEmerald (Spanish, girl)
- JadeJade gemstone (Spanish, girl)
- SierraMountain range (Spanish, girl)
- TelmoFrom a Spanish name for Saint Elmo (Spanish, boy)
- XimenaFeminine of Ximeno, a medieval Spanish name of uncertain meaning (Spanish, girl)
- AlondraLark (Spanish, girl)
- AltagraciaHigh grace (Spanish, girl)
Rio: common questions
What does the name Rio mean?
Rio comes from Spanish and means "river". It also has another origin: the same meaning in another language.
Is Rio a boy or girl name?
Rio is used for both boys and girls. In 2025, 105 girls and 563 boys in the US were named Rio, according to Social Security Administration data.
Where does the name Rio come from?
Rio comes from Spanish and means "river". Today it is used in Spanish, Portuguese and English.
How do you pronounce Rio?
Say REE-oh. Pronunciation can vary between languages and regions.
How popular is the name Rio?
Rio ranked #1,877 in the US in 2025, with 105 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What names are similar to Rio?
Names spelled like Rio include Rie, Riko, Rim, Rin and Ryo.
What middle names go with Rio?
Middle names that flow well with Rio include Alexander, Atticus, Augustus, Blair and Celeste. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.