Polo

♂ Boy

Pronounced POH-loh /ˈpoʊ.loʊ/High

Meaning: From the Italian surname Polo (Marco Polo, the explorer); also a Spanish short form of Hipolito (from Greek, 'one who frees the horses'); routes layeredLow

In 30 seconds: An Italian surname; a short form of Hipolito: Polo. Crisp, bold, and warm.

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Origin LowItalian, Greek

MeaningFrom the Italian surname Polo (Marco Polo, the explorer); also a Spanish short form of Hipolito (from Greek, 'one who frees the horses'); routes layered

U.S. rank (2025)#8750 ↘ Falling

2025 U.S. births9 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)

Peak year2001

Total births (all-time)≈ 598

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

Polo comes from the Italian surname Polo (Marco Polo, the explorer); it is also a Spanish short form of Hipolito (from Greek, 'one who frees the horses'; routes layered, which we note). A crisp, bold name (said 'POH-loh').

In the U.S. it appears as a surname/short-name. Rare, a-surname at the root, and bold.

Did you know? Polo is an Italian surname (Marco Polo, the explorer) — also a Spanish short form of Hipolito ('one who frees the horses') — a crisp, bold name (the routes are layered, which we note; said 'POH-loh').

Overall data confidence 32%

References — Polo — surname; routes layered

Variations

PolloPaolo

Nicknames

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Famous Bearers

Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Polo…

Marco— a companion Italian explorer-linked boys' name

Paolo— a sound-neighbor Italian boys' name

Milo— a fellow -lo boys' name

Lalo— a kindred -lo short name

Explore names like Polo

By themeuncertain greek surname-name italian

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Polo mean?

Polo is an Italian surname (Marco Polo); also a Spanish short form of Hipolito; the routes are layered.

How do you pronounce Polo?

It's said POH-loh /ˈpoʊ.loʊ/ — two syllables, stress on the first.

Is Polo a boy or girl name?

Polo is a boy's name here.

How popular is Polo?

Polo is a very rare name in the U.S.