2000
#30,091
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 735
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.27
Very Rare Last name
Mario
An Italian surname potentially derived from the ancient Roman name Marius or from the male name Mario.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 870 Americans carry the last name Mario. That puts it at #32,481 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.25 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 393,971 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mario surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
870
1 in 393,971
Census rank
#32,481
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
759
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 759 bearers of the surname Mario in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.25 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 32481st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mario, the largest self-reported group is White at 39.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (39.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (10.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mario
The surname Mario is of Italian origin, with its roots tracing back to the Middle Ages. The name is derived from the Latin name "Marius," which was a popular Roman name. It likely originated as a nickname or a shortened version of the name Marius.
The earliest recorded instances of the Mario surname can be found in historical documents and records from various regions of Italy, such as Tuscany, Lombardy, and Veneto. The name appears in medieval Italian manuscripts and records, indicating its widespread use across the Italian peninsula.
Historically, the Mario surname was associated with prominent families and individuals who played significant roles in Italian history. One notable example is Giovanni Mario, a renowned Italian architect and engineer from the 16th century (1537-1597), who was responsible for designing and constructing several notable buildings and structures in Rome.
Another historical figure bearing the Mario surname was Pietro Mario Bardi (1515-1599), an Italian scholar and humanist who was renowned for his contributions to the fields of literature and philosophy during the Renaissance period.
In the realm of art, the Mario surname is associated with the Italian painter and architect Gian Lorenzo Bernini (1598-1680), whose full name was Gian Lorenzo Bernini Mario. He was one of the most influential artists of the Baroque period and is renowned for his sculptures, architectural works, and his contributions to the development of the Baroque style.
Moving forward in time, the Mario surname also gained prominence in the field of science. One notable example is Giuseppe Mario Sangiovanni (1806-1876), an Italian physicist and mathematician who made significant contributions to the study of electromagnetism and optics.
Furthermore, the Mario surname has been linked to various place names and geographical locations in Italy, such as the town of Mario in the province of Lecce, and the Mario River, a tributary of the Ticino River in northern Italy.
Throughout history, the Mario surname has been associated with individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions, reflecting its enduring presence and significance within Italian culture and society.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mario
Among Census respondents with the surname Mario, the largest self-reported group is White at 39.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (39.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (10.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Mario bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Mario surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White39.9% · 303
- Hispanic or Latino39.8% · 302
- Asian and Pacific Islander10.9% · 83
- Black or African American7.4% · 56
- Two or more races1.8% · 14
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mario
Mario appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#32,365
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 711
-24 bearers (-3.3%)
Per 100,000 0.24
Rank movement Down 2,274 places
2020
#32,481
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 759
+48 bearers (+6.8%)
Per 100,000 0.25
Rank movement Down 116 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #30,091 | 735 | 0.27 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #32,365 | 711 | 0.24 | -24 bearers (-3.3%) | Down 2,274 places |
| 2020 | #32,481 | 759 | 0.25 | +48 bearers (+6.8%) | Down 116 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Mario surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #32,365 | #32,481 | -0.4% |
| Count | 711 | 759 | 6.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.24 | 0.25 | 5.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mario bearers went from 711 to 759 (+6.8% change). The surname moved down 116 positions in the national ranking, going from #32,365 to #32,481.
FAQ
Mario surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mario?
Name Census estimates that about 870 living Americans carry the surname Mario. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 393,971 residents.
How common is Mario?
Mario ranks #32,481 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.25 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 759 people with the surname Mario. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (870), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.25 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.25 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Mario.
Has Mario become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mario went from 711 recorded bearers to 759. That is an increase of 48 (+6.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #32,365 to #32,481.
What does the Census say about the background of Mario?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mario, the largest self-reported group is White at 39.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (39.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (10.9%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Mario in the 2020 Census, accounting for 39.9% (303 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mario appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (39.9%), Hispanic (39.8%), Asian/Pacific Islander (10.9%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Mario (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Mario mean?
An Italian surname potentially derived from the ancient Roman name Marius or from the male name Mario. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Mario (0.25 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people share the surname Mario?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.