Luigi Segale's Father Shared Name with Mario Brother

**TL;DR** Genealogical research uncovered that the real-life Mario, who inspired Nintendo's iconic character, had a father named Luigi. This finding raises questions about a potential, albeit coincidental, naming link for Super Mario’s brother.

**Context** Nintendo named its iconic character, Super Mario, after its Washington state landlord, Mario Segale, in the 1980s. Game creator Shigeru Miyamoto confirmed this origin in 2015. Less clear has been the inspiration for Super Mario’s loyal brother, Luigi.

Nintendo previously stated Luigi's name was chosen because it rhymed with the Japanese word for "similar." This provided an explanation for the sidekick’s moniker until recent discoveries.

**Key Facts** A senior researcher with the genealogy service MyHeritage, Elisabeth Zetland, recently explored Mario Segale's ancestral background. Her research revealed that Mario Segale’s father was also named Luigi. This finding suggests Nintendo might have unknowingly named the Luigi character after the real-life Mario’s father.

Elisabeth Zetland said the similarity between the Luigi character and Luigi Segale’s father is simply a coincidence. The elder Luigi Segale, born in Italy in 1886, immigrated to the US in 1909, served in World War I, and later became a successful farmer. He and his wife, Rina, raised their son Mario in Washington.

Before his death in 2018, Mario Segale once said he was still waiting for royalty checks related to the Super Mario name. This historical connection to the gaming giant has now gained an additional, unexpected layer.

**What It Means** The striking overlap in names, while presented as coincidental by the researcher, introduces an intriguing parallel between the fictional Super Mario Bros. and the real-life Segale family. This discovery adds a new dimension to the well-established origin story of Nintendo's global franchise. Industry observers will now watch to see if this genealogical finding prompts any further statements from Nintendo.