Total births
850
Unisex name · since 1976
Bao
850 babies named Bao in U.S. Social Security records since 1976, with the highest year being 1986. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #6588
- among boys today
- 850
- born since 1976
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 54%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Bao is the #6588 most popular unisex name in the U.S. today, with 850 recorded since 1976.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Bao has been recorded 850 times among boys since 1976, currently ranked #6588 nationally and more common than 54% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 1980s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1976 to 2025.
- #6588 among boys today
- 850 born since 1976
- 1980s peak decade
- 54% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Bao is currently the #6588 unisex name in America, more common than 54% of boys - 850 born since 1976, peaking in the 1980s.
- #6588
- among boys today
- 850
- born since 1976
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 54%
- more common than other boys
Bao vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#6588
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 54% of names given to boys today.
1980s
Peak decade
28% of everyone ever named Bao was born in this single decade.
1986
Single peak year
31 babies were named Bao in 1986 - its busiest year on record.
How Bao compares
850 Top 33% higher than 67% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Bao's all-time total is 132% above the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Bao | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 850 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 31 | 23 | 22,252 |
Bao's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Bao's SSA record in two at 2001 and the more recent half accounts for 40% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 60%, consistent with a name more common in the past than in recent years. Its calmest year was 2022, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1986 peak of 31, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Bao at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1986
Current rank
#6,588
Active since
1976
Bao popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1976–2025
- Peak year (1986)
- 31
- Annual births at peak, across 50 years of records
Bao popularity over time - girls
580 total births recorded since 1977 (Bao as girls' name)
Bao by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1980s was Bao's strongest decade.
236 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 28% of all-time use.
Bao births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1970s 37
1970s
37 births
- 1980s
1980s
236 births
- 1990s
1990s
224 births
- 2000s
2000s
140 births
- 2010s
2010s
158 births
- 2020s 55
2020s
55 births
What this shows Peak: 1980s at 236 births (28% of all-time use).
How Bao compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Bao's total volume
Bao vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Bao by state
Where Bao concentrates geographically, total births since 1976
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 159 | 18.7% |
| #2 | Texas | | 21 | 2.5% |
California share of Bao's total US births 18.7%
Even split
159 of 850 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 2 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Bao? ▼
Bao has been given to 850 babies in the U.S. since 1976, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #6588 as of the latest data. 31 babies were born in 1986, its single highest year.
When was Bao most popular? ▼
Bao was most popular in the 1980s decade with 236 total births. The single peak year was 1986.
Where is Bao most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Bao are California (159 births), Texas (21 births).
Is Bao a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Bao is used for both boys and girls. As a boy's name it has 850 births, and as a girl's name it has 580 births.
How long has the name Bao been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Bao since 1976 -- 50 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What to do with Bao's data
- Bao's decade-level peak was the 1980s (236 total births); usage has since declined to 55 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Baos (159 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Bao
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Bao
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1976–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Bao: #6588 Unisex Name - 850 Births, Peak 1986." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/bao. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Bao draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.