Total births
389
Unisex name · since 1975
Chau
Chau has 389 recorded births since 1975 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1980 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- 389
- total births
- 1975–2022
- years on record
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 41%
- born in that decade
Chau is not among the current top-ranked girls names; 389 have been recorded since 1975.
Chau has 389 recorded births among girls since 1975, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, though it falls outside today's most-used girls names, busiest in the 1980s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1975 to 2022.
- 389 total births
- 1975–2022 years on record
- 1980s peak decade
- 41% born in that decade
Data updated Jul 2026
The verdict
389 girls have been named Chau since 1975, peaking in the 1980s, last recorded in 2022.
- 389
- total births
- 1975–2022
- years on record
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 41%
- born in that decade
1980s
Peak decade
41% of everyone ever named Chau was born in this single decade.
1980
Single peak year
22 babies were named Chau in 1980 - its busiest year on record.
Chau's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Chau splits its recorded history at 1995: 39% of all births land in the more recent half, 61% in the earlier half, leaning more toward its earlier era than today's. The single quietest year was 1975 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1980 peak of 22 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Chau at a glance
Last recorded 2022Peak year
1980
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1975
Chau popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1975–2022
- Peak year (1980)
- 22
- Annual births at peak, across 48 years of records
Chau popularity over time - boys
107 total births recorded since 1976 (Chau as boys' name)
Chau by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1980s was Chau's strongest decade.
158 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 41% of all-time use.
Chau births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1970s 30
1970s
30 births
- 1980s
1980s
158 births
- 1990s
1990s
91 births
- 2000s
2000s
65 births
- 2010s 33
2010s
33 births
- 2020s 12
2020s
12 births
What this shows Peak: 1980s at 158 births (41% of all-time use).
Chau by state
Where Chau concentrates geographically, total births since 1975
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 89 | 22.9% |
| #2 | Texas | | 5 | 1.3% |
California share of Chau's total US births 22.9%
Even split
89 of 389 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 2 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Chau? ▼
Since 1975, Social Security records show 389 babies named Chau. The most recent recorded year was 2022. Its busiest year on record was 1980, with 22 births.
When was Chau most popular? ▼
Chau was most popular in the 1980s decade with 158 total births. The single peak year was 1980.
Where is Chau most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Chau are California (89 births), Texas (5 births).
Is Chau a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Chau is used for both boys and girls. As a girl's name it has 389 births, and as a boy's name it has 107 births.
How long has the name Chau been used? ▼
Records for Chau go back to 1975, giving 48 years of history through 2022.
What names are similar to Chau? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Charlotte, Charlene, Charlie, Charity, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Chau's data
- Chau's decade-level peak was the 1980s (158 total births); usage has since declined to 12 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Chaus (89 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 Chau
Nearby Names Like Chau
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Chau
Charlotte Girl
#4 453,433 births
Charlene Girl
#1755 133,729 births
Charlie Girl
#140 40,359 births
Charity Girl
#2041 35,518 births
Chasity Girl
#4059 24,414 births
Compare Chau side by side: Chau vs Charlotte Chau vs Charlene Chau vs Charlie
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Data Sources
Data as of July 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, 1975–2022 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Chau: Baby Name Since 1975 - 389 Births, Peak 1980." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/chau. 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 Chau 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 July 2026.