Mario’s Name Origin Is More Obscure Than You Would Think

Mario is one of the most notable video game characters in history, impacting over three generations worldwide with his red suit, blue overall, and iconic mustache. With over 24 mainline Mario titles, over a dozen appearances in several Nintendo titles such as the Super Smash Bros. series, and two Hollywood films, Mario is a monumental success. While Mario is still going strong with Mario Kart 9 on the way for the Nintendo Switch 2 and another animated Super Mario Bros. movie from Illumination next year, have you ever wondered where the name ‘Mario’ came from?

It’s no surprise some might not know how the Italian plumber got his name, considering he’s been a part of the pop culture scene for so long. Super Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto has previously noted that our overall-wearing protagonist was originally named Mr. Video, who was created to be a cameo character that could appear in any future Nintendo game. Mario was an unnamed figure in the Japanese version of the 1981 platformer Donkey Kong title, only referenced as ‘Jumpman’ in the English instructions manual. However, the localization of Donkey Kong led to the naming of the Italian plumber all thanks to a Washington landlord.

Nintendo of America’s warehouse was a rental leased by Mario Segale, a local Tukwila real estate developer. There are two stories about how Mario’s name was chosen, one of which was written in 1993’s Game Over, detailing a confrontation with Segale. During the development of Donkey Kong, Segale visited the warehouse to collect his overdue rent from then-president Minoru Arakawa, who promised to pay the rent eventually. Segale gave them more time to come up with the money, which led Arakawa and the team to change ‘Jumpman’ to Mario, in honor of his generosity.

RELATED: Nintendo Switch Online Adding Three Classic Game Boy Games

This story, however, was refuted by former Nintendo of America warehouse manager Don Jones. In 2012, Jones stated that the character was named Mario based on the fact that Segale reportedly never met the developers, and given his reclusive personality, the name Mario was given to the character as a joke. In any case, Segale went on to continue his real estate legacy while reportedly boasting to his grandchildren and friends that he was the inspiration behind the most iconic game characters of all time. In only one case did Segale mention his involvement, in which he said in a 1993 edition of The Seattle Times, “You might say I’m still waiting for my royalty checks.” Sadly, Segale passed away in 2018, but his legacy lives on in the hearts of many and the businesses of Tukwila, Washington.

Knowing the origins of Mario’s name, it’s interesting to think about how many other iconic gaming character’s names came to be. Are there any character names that you would like to know more about? Let us know in the comments section down below!