Tao
Tao is the pinyin romanization of the Chinese surname 陶 (Táo). It listed 31st in the Song-era Hundred Family Surnames poem.
Meaning & Origin of Tao
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Tao is the pinyin romanization of the Chinese surname 陶 (Táo). It listed 31st in the Song-era Hundred Family Surnames poem.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Origin & history
The Story of Tao
Tao first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1970, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2021, when 20 Taos were born — ranking #4,777 that year. As of 2026, Tao ranks #7,434 for baby boys with 9 births, gradually falling (-11%). In total, more than 436 Taos have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1970s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Tao
Phonetically similar names — useful when Tao 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 Tao
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About the name Tao
Tao is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1970 and has accumulated 436 births in the dataset. Tao's peak popularity came in 2021 when it ranked #3,445. Use the chart and map above to compare Tao's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2021 →
- Names of the 2020s →
- Names starting with "T" →
- Browse all boy 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.