As one of the oldest video game characters, Mario is a name that almost everyone knows, young or old. He first appeared in Donkey Kong instead of Super Mario Bros for the NES. Although the Italian plumber is quite popular, many people don’t know his last name. But if you’ve seen the 1993 Mario Bros movie, you’ll know that his name in that one was Mario Mario. So here’s what Shigeru Miyamoto has to say about it.

Mario wasn't supposed to have a last name, but his last name is actually Mario. This is the origin of how he got his full name. Starting with his first name, Mario didn't always use it. During his arcade machine days with Donkey Kong, he was known as Jumpman. But eventually Nintendo decided to give him this iconic name, after their landlord "Mario" Segale. He got this name after Mr. Seagle barged into the team and asked for back rent.

Now, about his last name. In an interview with Game Informer, Miyamoto admitted that the idea of the plumber duo having the last name Mario was hilarious. The makers of the 1993 film came to this conclusion because they thought that since the game was called “Mario Bros.”, that could be his last name. But then Miyamoto said that Mario didn’t have a last name and the same goes for Luigi.

Although when people asked Charles Martinet what the character's last name was, he also admitted that it was Mario. This happened at the San Diego Comic-Con in 2012. Finally, in 2015, contrary to his previous interview, he confirmed this time during the Super Mario Bros. 30th Anniversary festival that Mario's last name was indeed Mario.