Rio is a distinctive girls' name in England & Wales, ranking #567 in 1999 with 49 recorded births. The name reached its all-time peak in 1997 with 59 births ranking #478. Since 1996, the popularity has increased by 19.5%. In 1999, approximately 1 in every 5,749 girls born was named Rio. RISING Recent data shows the name is currently rising.
Rio means "river" in Spanish and Portuguese, which is the clearest meaning Behind the Name gives for the broad modern use of the name. It is short, vivid and strongly place-and-nature based.
The name is used across more than one culture, and Behind the Name also lists a separate Japanese entry. Because of that, the safest description is that Rio often follows the Spanish or Portuguese word-name route but can have other origins too.