Census reveals almost 90 thousand people registered with football players’ names
The Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) recently released the data from the 2022 Demographic Census and brought to light a curiosity: the names of football players have become baptismal names for thousands of Brazilians. Among the surprises in the data, the name “Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior” stands out. Although it is not as widely used as one might imagine, there are already 2,443 people registered in Brazil whose first name is “Neymar”, and of this total, 50 are women.
Another relevant fact: the median age of these people is only 11 years, suggesting that the adoption of this name intensified in the last decade. Geographically, the name “Neymar” appears in all 27 states of the federation, with prominence in Minas Gerais (372 records), São Paulo (340), Amazonas (239) and Bahia (232).
The “boom” of Riquelme
But if Neymar impresses, nothing compares to the number registered for “Juan Román Riquelme”, the Argentine player, former number 10 of Boca Juniors. According to IBGE, there are 25,942 people registered with the first name “Riquelme” in Brazil. Including some spelling variations (such as Ryquelme, Rikelme, Rykelme, etc.), the total rises to 31,684 records. The median age of these people was calculated at 12 years.
To get an idea, between the beginning of the 1990s and the end of that decade, there were only 228 records of the name “Riquelme” in the country. Between 2000 and 2009, the peak of the player’s career at Boca, 12,220 records emerged. São Paulo leads the records (3,798), followed by Bahia (3,773).
Other players’ names that became baptismal names
Romário de Souza Faria: 50,538 people with the first name “Romário”, with a median age of 29 years.
Bebeto: 247 records (median age: 29 years). It is important to remember that “Bebeto” is a nickname (full name José Roberto Gama de Oliveira).
Zico: 582 people (median age: 41 years).
Ronaldinho Gaúcho: 187 people with the name “Ronaldinho” (median age: 24 years).
Kaká: 121 records (median age: 16 years).
There are also names such as “Messi” (363 people; median age: 10 years) and “Maradona” (128 people; median age: 34 years).
The name “Pelé” appears only 75 times as a first name in Brazil, with a median age of 47 years, and 154 people registered with “Pelé” as a surname.
When we look at the timeline, it becomes clear that the World Cups play a huge role in this story. In the 1990s, for example, Brazil became champion again after 24 years, and this clearly had an impact even on the civil registries. The “tetra” generation, led by Romário and Bebeto, is stamped on the birth certificates of thousands of Brazilians.
Until the end of the 1980s, the name Romário had just over 9,000 records. In the 1990s, this number jumped to more than 32,000, a growth that coincides exactly with his peak, champion in 1994 and elected the best player in the world that same year. Bebeto did not have the same numerical impact, but still marked the generation.
What these names reveal about Brazil’s football culture
This mixture of Brazilian and foreign idols says a lot about how Brazilians live football. It is not only passion for clubs and national teams, but also a connection with historical moments, sports heroes, and even styles of play. The case of Riquelme, an Argentine number 10, leading among the most registered football players’ names in Brazil, shows how much Brazilian fans appreciate and respect well-played football, even if it comes from abroad. This is the generation that grew up watching Boca Juniors dominate the Libertadores and Riquelme command the midfield.
Another interesting point is that many of these names have low median ages. Messi, for example, has a median of 10 years among registered Brazilians. Names like Zico and Pelé are older tributes. It is also worth mentioning an important cultural factor: Brazil has always had a very strong relationship with nicknames. In football, this is almost a rule, and many of these nicknames have become officially registered names. Zico, Kaká, Ronaldinho, and many others.
This article was first published in Portuguese on 5 November 2025.
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