Given name & surname
Dino
“one who wields a little sword”
Dino is used as a given name and a surname. One Italian interpretation is “one who wields a little sword.”
Original ItalianAlfredo
Meaning & origin
What it means
One Italian interpretation is “one who wields a little sword.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Italian.
How it developed
In Italian usage, Dino is a diminutive of Alfredo. In Italian usage, Dino is a diminutive of Bernardo.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1912. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Dino through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 9,219
- 9,219 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 1960
- 386 babies
- 2025
- 45
- #2,808 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +10%
- Rising
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 45 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 2,808 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 10.2% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 386 in 1960. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (8). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 8,358 as a first name in 2020; 997 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Dino’s family of names
In Italian usage, Dino is a diminutive of Alfredo. In Italian usage, Dino has a related form in Bernardo. In Italian usage, Dino is a diminutive of Bernardo.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 15
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 2
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
See also 3
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Dino
- Dino ZoffItalian association football player and managerborn 1942
- Dino BuzzatiItalian writer (1906-1972)
- Dino RisiItalian film director (1916-2008)
- Dino BaggioItalian association football playerborn 1971
- Dino MerlinBosnian singerborn 1962
- Dino MoreaIndian actor, model, film producerborn 1975
- Dino GrandiItalian politician (1895–1988)
- Dino RađaCroatian basketball player (born 1967)
- Dinu LipattiRomanian pianist and composer (1917–1950)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Appears in
Similar names
If you love Dino, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Tino
“a man of small stature”
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Stuart
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Dennis
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99% boys · 1% girls
Alvino
Alvino is a surname from Italian. It is used in English, Italian, and Portuguese.
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Russ
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Sal
“princess; lady” · “a savior”
>99% boys