Elio
Elio was the 388th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 818 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 1,785 places. More babies were named Elio in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Meaning sun (Italian, from Helios) · Greek, Italian
Say it EL-ee-oh /ˈɛlioʊ/
- Rank in 2025
- #388 boys, up 690 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 818boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2025818 babies
- Total since 1880
- 5,174babies recorded
What does the name Elio mean?
Elio is an Italian boys' name, derived according to Wiktionary from Greek Hēlios, the sun and the sun god. Italian drops the initial h, giving Elio and the feminine Elia. Wiktionary gives only this sun origin for the Italian name and records Elia as its feminine; in Italian it is said EH-lyo, in two syllables. It has been an occasional US name since the 1910s and has risen in recent years.
Ἥλιος (Ancient Greek, “the sun; the sun god”)
How sure is this? Probable. Wiktionary only. Some bearers may use Elio as a short form of longer names.
Related names: Helios, Elia, Eli.
See also: Greek names, names that mean sky, star, moon or sun.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Elio' (Italian section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- Wiktionary, entry 'Ἥλιος' (Ancient Greek section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- US Social Security Administration, national baby-name data 1880-2025 (yob*.txt), team3 computation of first year recorded, US Social Security Administration (public domain)
Elio popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #388 | 818 |
| 2020 | #1,078 | 185 |
| 2010 | #2,975 | 39 |
| 2000 | #2,396 | 40 |
| 1990 | #2,056 | 36 |
| 1980 | #1,740 | 33 |
| 1970 | #2,543 | 14 |
| 1960 | #2,933 | 9 |
| 1950 | #3,836 | 5 |
| 1940 | #3,226 | 6 |
| 1930 | #1,544 | 23 |
| 1920 | #2,252 | 14 |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Elio, counting every spelling?
Elio is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #395 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #388 for Elio on its own. Together these spellings went to 828 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elio | 818 | #388 | 2,406 |
| Ellio | 10 | #7,829 | 42 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Elio?
818 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Elio (0.23 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Elio born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 10 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Elio.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Elio?
About 4,600 people born in the US named Elio are alive today, with a median age of 5; half are between 2 and 21. That makes Elio a young name: most people with it are children.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Elio by state
How common Elio was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in California (2.4×), Washington (2.1×), Colorado (1.9×), Oregon (1.9×), Nevada (1.9×). In 18 states fewer than five boys a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Elio: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Elio, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Elio · Sibling names for Elio
Questions about the name Elio
What does Elio mean?
Elio means “sun (Italian, from Helios)” (Greek, Italian origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Elio?
Elio was the 388th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 818 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 1,785 places. More babies were named Elio in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Is Elio a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Elio in the US.
Where is Elio most popular?
In 2021–2025, Elio was most common in District of Columbia (0.81 per 1,000 boys), followed by California and Washington.