Gao
Gao is a city in Mali and the capital of the Gao Region. The city is located on the River Niger, 320 km (200 mi) east-southeast of Timbuktu on the left bank at the junction with the Tilemsi valley.
Meaning & Origin of Gao
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Gao is a city in Mali and the capital of the Gao Region. The city is located on the River Niger, 320 km (200 mi) east-southeast of Timbuktu on the left bank at the junction with the Tilemsi valley.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Gao
Gao first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1980, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1989, when 32 Gaos were born — ranking #3,253 that year. As of 2026, Gao ranks #17,501 for baby girls with 5 births, with steady use. In total, more than 375 Gaos have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1980s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Gao
Phonetically similar names — useful when Gao 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 Gao
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About the name Gao
Gao is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1980 and has accumulated 375 births in the dataset. Gao's peak popularity came in 1989 when it ranked #3,253. Use the chart and map above to compare Gao's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1989 →
- Names of the 1980s →
- Names starting with "G" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
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.