Chao
Chao is a name with a single cultural origin: Chinese.
- Chinese
Meaning & Origin of Chao
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Chao is a name with a single cultural origin: Chinese.
Origin data from Behind the Name .
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- Chinese
The Story of Chao
As a girl name
The earliest SSA record of Chao as a girl name dates back to 1983, when 5 babies received it. 1985 was its biggest year on record, with 8 newborns named Chao — #7,563 in the national rankings. About 69% of every Chao on record arrived during the 1980s, its defining decade. Chao last appeared in the published SSA data in 1992, with 5 recorded births — it has not charted nationally since. All told, over 36 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1980s to the 2020s.
As a boy name
The earliest SSA record of Chao as a boy name dates back to 1971, when 12 babies received it. 1985 was its biggest year on record, with 18 newborns named Chao — #2,710 in the national rankings. About 50% of every Chao on record arrived during the 1980s, its defining decade. Chao last appeared in the published SSA data in 2013, with 5 recorded births — it has not charted nationally since. All told, over 284 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1970s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Chao
Phonetically similar names — useful when Chao is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Chao
What does the name Chao mean?
What is the origin of the name Chao?
How popular is Chao in 2026?
When was Chao most popular?
In which U.S. states is Chao most popular?
Is Chao a unisex name?
What names go well with Chao?
About the name Chao
Chao is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1971 and has accumulated 284 births in the dataset. Chao's peak popularity came in 1985 when it ranked #2,710. Use the chart and map above to compare Chao's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1985 →
- Names of the 1980s →
- Names starting with "C" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.