Dino

♂ Boy

Pronounced DEE-noh /ˈdiː.no/Medium

Meaning: diminutive of -dino names (e.g. Bernardino)Medium

In 30 seconds: Dino is an Italian short form pulled from longer names ending in -dino, such as Bernardino. It works on its own as a friendly, punchy boy's name.

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Origin MediumItalian

Meaningdiminutive of -dino names (e.g. Bernardino)

U.S. rank (2025)#2808 ↘ Falling

2025 U.S. births45 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)

Peak year1960

Total births (all-time)≈ 9,218

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Dino began as a diminutive ending clipped off Italian names like Bernardino, then took on a life of its own. Because it comes from that -dino suffix rather than a single root word, its meaning is tied to whichever fuller name a family had in mind. In Italy it has long been used as a standalone given name.

Two Hall of Fame athletes carry it: Dino Meneghin, the Italian basketball great inducted at Naismith, and Dino Ciccarelli, the Canadian NHL forward in the Hockey Hall of Fame. The single short syllable plus -o gives it an easy, energetic sound.

Did you know? Dino is an Italian diminutive of names ending in -dino, such as Bernardino or Corradino, now used as an independent given name.

Overall data confidence 78%

Behind the Name - Dino — etymology, usage, pronunciation, and related formsU.S. Social Security Administration — 2024 popularity rank and count supplied in the batch input CSV

Variations

DînoAugustinusBeñatAgustíBernat

Nicknames

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Famous Bearers

★Dino Meneghin (1950–present)
Italian basketball legend, Naismith Hall of Fame inductee.
★Dino Ciccarelli (1960–present)
Canadian NHL player, Hockey Hall of Fame inductee.

If you like Dino…

Gino— shares the -no ending

Nino— a similarly popular pick

Cristiano— lands in the same popularity range

Mariano— lands in the same popularity range

Adriano— echoes that soft -no sound

Explore names like Dino

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Dino mean?

Dino is an Italian diminutive of names ending in -dino, such as Bernardino or Corradino, used as an independent name.

How do you pronounce Dino?

It's commonly said DEE-noh /ˈdiː.no/.

Is Dino a boy or girl name?

In this batch and in recent U.S. usage data, Dino is used as a boy name.

How popular is Dino?

In 2024, Dino ranked #2712 in the U.S. for boys, with 48 births recorded.