Rio is a distinctive girls' name in United States, ranking #1877 in 2025 with 105 recorded births. The name reached its all-time peak in 2021 with 124 births ranking #1679. Since 1996, the popularity has increased by 138.6%. In 2025, approximately 1 in every 15,307 girls born was named Rio. STABLE Recent data shows the name is currently stable.
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.