Kao
The Story of Kao
As a girl name
Kao first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1980, with 9 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 1991: 24 births, good for #4,208 nationwide. About 50% of every Kao on record arrived during the 1980s, its defining decade. Kao last appeared in the published SSA data in 2000, with 6 recorded births — it has not charted nationally since. All told, over 244 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1980s to the 2020s.
As a boy name
The earliest SSA record of Kao as a boy name dates back to 1980, when 23 babies received it. 1981 was its biggest year on record, with 40 newborns named Kao — #1,520 in the national rankings. About 52% of every Kao on record arrived during the 1980s, its defining decade. Kao last appeared in the published SSA data in 2023, with 5 recorded births — it has not charted nationally since. All told, over 467 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1980s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Kao
Phonetically similar names — useful when Kao 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 Kao
What does the name Kao mean?
How popular is Kao in 2026?
When was Kao most popular?
In which U.S. states is Kao most popular?
Is Kao a unisex name?
What names go well with Kao?
About the name Kao
Kao is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1980 and has accumulated 467 births in the dataset. Kao's peak popularity came in 1981 when it ranked #1,520. Use the chart and map above to compare Kao's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1981 →
- Names of the 1980s →
- Names starting with "K" →
- 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.